Of any medicinal plant I'd like to cultivate it would be echinacea. The plant re-seeds in the fall so perhaps I didn't need to purchase seeds. But it's a seed company I can get behind.
Echinacea is a widely accepted method of natural medicine in a world hasty to consume aspirin. Numerous peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated it's efficacy in aiding immunological healing. Of course other studies have shown little to no effect. So what's to believe? It starts with paying attention to the plant's effects on your own body. I was first instructed to drink it in form of tea when I was close to catching a cold. I tried that out and it was fine. Still caught the cold though. A couple years later I was prompted to take it in capsule form and later still, in tincture form. These forms are more concentrated and so you have a higher dose. I found the tincture to be quite useful if I used echinacea at the outset of a cold. Rather than after the damage was done.
Not only does the form of medicine matter, but the part of the plant too. The root of the plant is most commonly used for tea. Now that I am reading about echinacea a little online I'm find that the upper parts of the plant are supposedly more beneficial. -> "In Germany (where herbs are regulated by the government), the above-ground parts of Echinacea purpurea are approved to treat colds, upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and slow healing wounds. The root of the Echinacea pallida plant is also approved for the treatment of flu-like infections."
Read more: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/echinacea-000239.htm#ixzz261TYEBeX
Unfortunately it's recommended that plants aren't harvested for at least 3 years. So I may never get to harvest from the plant I just put in. But I'll get some seeds to save out of it.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment