It grows in open woods, thickets and prairies in central and eastern United States. Echinacea angustifolia is the only species that grows wild in Canada. Echinacea pallida can be found in prairies and glades in a more eastern range than echinacea angustifolia. It was used as an antidote to poison and snakebites, for inflammation of the throat, gums and mouth, to treat a sore throat, colds and coughs, for colic, abdominal complaints and the list goes on. Echinacea purpurea is the most widely used of the three species.
Most consumers use echinacea to prevent and treat colds, and to help heal infections.
Extracts are often standardized to echinoside content. This information is provided by Harvey Clark of the Saskatchewan Irrigation Development Centre. From Richters 1999 Herb Catalog. Herb Market Survey 1995 . Saskatchewan Herb Research Centre, Department of Horticulture Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Sk.