Echinacea; radiant in the sun.

When we moved from town out to the country, our property had abundant Echinacea. It still does. I love to see the bees, butterflies, wasps, and birds enjoy this radiant beauty.

This perennial has deep medicinal roots and many studies have been done for each variety. The variety I have in abundance is Echinacea Purpurea or purple coneflower. It can grow 5 feet tall and blooms with large reddish-purple flowers. It was used by the Plains Indians as a cure-all. This herb/flower is an immune system stimulant.

Echinacea tea is a standard for infections at onset to stimulate immunity and recovery for colds, flu, viruses, gland swelling, lymph congestion, and inflammatory conditions. The warm water for tea releases its properties best.