As the vibrant hues of summer fade and the chill of autumn air settles in, one perennial comes into its own for a vital, non-gardening reason: winter wellness. The beautiful daisy-like bloom, commonly known as coneflower (echinacea), is famous as a popular natural treatment for the common cold and flu season.
But its health benefits run much deeper. For hundreds of years in the US, this powerful plant has been used as a traditional herbal remedy for everything from toothache to snakebites. To harness its power, you can harvest the pretty pink flower heads to brew a soothing tea, or you can dig and dry its root to create a boiled decoction or soaking tincture.
