Echinacea - seed heads

A useful plant , Bathgate .
Good for chest ailments , too , I believe .

Yes Driad, it certainly is. According to my research, this plant is an immune system booster and a tried and true remedy for the common cold - makes a nice tea.

Is that the leaves or the dried plant , Bathgate ?
I've stopped at green tea , really .

All parts of the plant can and are used. It bolsters your immune system. That's why it works. For the best tea, select stems with the freshest flowers, use the newest leaves (top most leaves on the stem). The leaves must be dried.

Here's a basic recipe using dried plant parts:

Echinacea Tea
1 part echinacea parts, leaves, flowers, roots
1/4 part lemon grass
1/4 part spearmint leaves (or to taste)
Stevia leaves to taste

Mix and brew at the first sign of cold or flu. Based on the Traditional Medicinal recipe.

You can add a little fennel if you like. Give it a try. It's great!

Hi , Bathgate , I've added that to my faves so that when I feel the need , it will be here .
Where can I get , (and what is) Stevia though ?
Has the weather eased some for you good people in New York ?

Hi Driad. Stevia is an herb and used as a natural sweetener. You can generally find it in most health food stores or even at the grocery. It's easy to grow in your garden as well. You can also substitute with honey.

I'll try and grow some , for interests sake this year , I love something new .