Showcasing the flower, prairie, and rural life may provide income and pride in the place we call home. Echinacea is an important plant in our prairie landscape and provides a food source for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. The rare Dakota skipper butterfly uses this plant as one of its primary food sources. The root is primarily targeted for medicinal purposes. Echinacea is the top-selling herbal product in U.S. and Europe.
Demand is greater than cultivated supply.
Currently most product supply is from the wild. Digging of the Plant Reports of digging have come from at least 14 North Dakota counties. Digging has been most common in northwestern North Dakota. In the Williston area, the county sheriff logged dozens of reports of illegal digging. Wild harvest removes most or all of the plant s root.