Prairie coneflower

Ratibida columnifera (syn. R. columnaris)

A member of the daisy family with drooping yellow or red-brown ray flowers around a long, columnar centre that smells when bruised. Effects not studied.

Safety notes

Not with an allergy to the daisy family. Always have bleeding and earache seen by a doctor; never put anything in an ear with a perforated eardrum. Traditional use is no proof of effect; consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.

Cautions by tradition (1)

Lakota (Teton Sioux) medicine: Have bleeding and earache seen by a doctor.

Preparation

Tea of stems and leaves; a decoction of the root.

Use in traditions

The Lakota called the plant 'root of the bur'. According to Eagle Shield it stopped bleeding, from wounds or from inside. For pain in the side he gave a tea of stem and leaf, and for earache he let a drop of the root decoction fall into the ear. With this herb, too, he sang a song: 'The bear told me.'

Applications

Use by tradition

How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.

Lakota (Teton Sioux) medicine

Attributed effects

For bleeding, pain in the side and earache (Eagle Shield).

Preparation and amount

Tea of stem and leaf; a decoction of the root, a drop of which goes into the ear.

Caution: Have bleeding and earache seen by a doctor.

Ways to prepare herbs: Tea (infusion)Decoction

Sources

All herbs from North America →