Echinacea, (pronounced Ek-i-nay-see-a), commonly known as purple coneflower, is a herbaceous perennial plant with four species and six varieties all indigenous to North America, of which three, E. pallida var pallida, E .pallida var angustifolia, and E. purpurea, are grown commercially. Used in perennial borders for over 200 years, the species E. purpurea in particular is widely known. Today, a move back to more natural tonics and medicines and our eclectic approach to health are contributing to a resurfacing of traditional uses of medical herbs such as echinacea. Some European countries, in particular Germany, are very familiar with purple coneflower and have many value added purple coneflower products in the marketplace.