In the spring and early summer as the flowers were growing but had not yet bloomed, I decided it might be cool to try to photograph a particular flower at various stages. One series of photos that is close to complete is that of a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). Most are of the same exact flower, but there are a couple days I missed and had to use a different one. (click on each for a little bit larger photos – they are still small but were easier to upload)
sssssssssss
As I found out here, the butterflies love these. They are long lasting and add much needed color to a sea of green. Most are aware of the natural immunity boosting properties of the plant, but I wanted to know more. According to wildflower.org, “extracts are thought to improve white blood count. Echinacin stops bacteria from forming the hyaluronidase enzyme, which helps make cells more susceptible to infection. It’s a mild natural antibiotic. Small amounts taken a few times daily are better than large dose.”
It seems like I should be harvesting these for use in making echinacea tea or saving them somehow. Anyone done this before?
And just because it was too perfect to pass up:
