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Herb of the Year 2002 - Echinacea
Yearbook 2003 page 13 By: Lorraine Elworthy Back to the web versionHerb of the Year - Echinacea
The International Herb Association (IHA) named Echinacea the 2002 Herb of the Year. For an herb to be named, it must have uses in at least two of three major areas - culinary or flavouring; decorative or landscape; and medicinal use, aromatherapy, or fragrance. This is the first year since the IHA started the Herb of the Year promotion in 1995 that an herb without major use as a culinary herb was chosen. Rather, Echinacea is primarily a medicinal herb with excellent decorative and landscape credentials.
Echinacae, was named after the hedgehog (Echinus) because of the prickly, cone-like center. E. purpurea, or purple coneflower, is perhaps the best known in gardening circles for its showy pinkish purple flowers with orange centers. White varieties are also available now. Coneflowers bloom from July to August and produce flowers that can be up to 6 inches wide. The plant grows to be three feet high and can be almost as wide. It thrives in warm soil, full sun or light shade, and drained soil that can be fairly dry. Once the flowers have stopped blooming, the "cones" can be used in dried arrangements or left for winter interest and a food supply for wintering songbirds, such as the American Goldfinch. Echinacea also has a wide range of medicinal uses because of its anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antiallergenic properties. While it is the root of Echinacea plants that is used for these purposes, the leaves must have some medicinal properties too the groundhog that was attracted to my plants was truly a healthy specimen!! Hardy to Zone 3.
Lorraine Elworthy
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