The beautiful echinacea

Echinacea is made from flowers that cannot go unnoticed in the garden. She immediately attracts the eye with her beautiful "head", bright coloring, and a descending "skirt" of leaves. Although it has recently appeared in our country, it already has many fans, both because of its beauty and long-lasting flowering, and because of its outstanding healing properties.

This magnificent member of the Asteraceae family is native to North America. The flower grows well both in prairies and in forests, on the banks of rivers almost all over the country. This clearly indicates the endurance of this plant, which adapts to various climatic conditions. In its homeland, echinacea has long become an important agricultural crop, which is grown on plantations as a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry. Now echinacea can be found almost everywhere. Its name comes from the Greek word echino, which means hedgehog. Indeed, the "crown" that forms the actual flowers looks vaguely like needles.

Echinacea decorates gardens from May to late autumn, when the cold interrupts its exuberant flowering. It is a perennial herb. Its stems are tall, reaching from 60 to 120 cm in different species. Its flowers, like all representatives of the Aster family, are quite large - up to 10-15 cm in diameter.

Growing echinacea is easy

It can grow well both outdoors in the sun and in the shade of trees. There are no special requirements for the soil, but still, if you provide it with nutrient-rich soil, the results will be better. It does not suffer from pest attacks and diseases. Although it is a tall plant, it does not need props and garters. In autumn, echinacea is pruned to the soil level.

Propagation by seeds is not difficult

Seeds can be sown in May directly into the garden and flowers appear in about 2-3 weeks. In the first year of life, the plant forms a rosette of leaves, 15-20 cm high. In the second year, it begins to bloom. In early spring, the bushes of echinacea can be divided, and therefore in the same year you will have flowering plants in more places. Separation and rejuvenation once every 3-4 years has a very good effect on its decorative qualities.

The most common type is purple echinacea.

Besides being very beautiful, it also has the strongest healing qualities. This tall plant looks great when it is planted in separate large groups, as well as in the middle of mixed flower beds. The most suitable neighbors are Rudbeckia and many others, with which the flowering period coincides.

Healing properties

Today's medicine also recognizes echinacea as a powerful immunostimulant and an effective remedy for viral and bacterial diseases. Plants that are above the age of two are used for targeted purposes. The aboveground parts are harvested and used at the beginning of flowering. https://ambo.market/