Echinacea species have been widely used in traditional medicine. Nine species of Echinacea are native to the United States, but three perennial species are most commonly found in the commercial trade. These include E. angustifolia, which is found in eastern Montana as well as from Minnesota to Saskatchewan, south to Oklahoma and Texas; E. purpurea, from Georgia west to Oklahoma and north to Michigan and Ohio; and E. pallida, from Michigan to Nebraska, south to Georgia, and west to Texas (Foster, 1993).

Echinacea research at the Western Agricultural Research Center has included studies of plant density of Echinacea purpurea, seed germination of E. angustifolia, and the aster yellows phytoplasma disease of Echinacea.                                         

Additional Information about Echinacea

Books and Publications:

Foster, S. 1993. Herbal Renaissance. Gibbs-Smith Publishers, Salt Lake City, UT.

Li, T. 1998. Echinacea: Cultivation and medicinal value. HortTechnology 8:122-129.