Ancient Healing

A must-have in stylish prairie planting schemes, echinacea enjoys a long history as a medicinal plant

Echinacea blooms resemble multi-hued sun hats and are produced through late summer and early autumn. It bears the common name of coneflower on account of its spiky, cone-like centre made up of tube florets. The petals, or ray florets, protrude downwards in a single layer, but modern varieties can fan out in a tutu of double petals.

Thanks to the trend for perennial planting, these herbaceous perennials are now all the rage again. They originate from the dry prairies of central and eastern North America, making them tolerant of the draughty conditions that are becoming increasingly commonplace in the UK in summer and autumn.

There are ten species of echinacea, the most widespread of them being Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia and E. pallida. Most were originally purple-petalled, but modern varieties have been bred to create blooms in a rainbow of colours.

Echinacea was introduced to England in the 17th century. Jacob Bobart the Younger, the keeper of the Oxford Physic Garden, attributed its introduction to clergyman and naturalist John Banister. In 1699, Bobart published a picture and description of Echinacea purpurea as Dracunculus Virginianus latifolius (broad-leaved Virginian perennial).

Echinacea has long been associated with medicine and healing. For centuries Native Americans used it to fight infections as wide-ranging as septic wounds and toothache. Historical writings suggest the flower was e ective against the bite of a rattlesnake, while wounded elks would eat it to heal themselves.

Fresh interest in the plant’s medicinal properties came with the arrival of European settlers in the early 19th century. According to one doctor writing in a journal at the time, the root was used ‘for nearly every sickness with good results’, although today it is mainly found in herbal remedies to ward o colds.

Ethereal E. pallida was set against silvery grasses and blue flowers at Hampton Court last year in an RHS Garden by designer Tom Stuart-Smith. He used hardy perennials with Mediterranean plants to showcase the beauty of climate-resistant gardens. ■

HOW TO GROW These low-maintenance perennials require well-drained soil and full sun. Plant them in summer and, come winter, ensure the soil around them doesn’t get too wet. Coneflowers can be propagated by division but generally prefer to be left alone.