How does swim harvest echinacea?

[Orchid_Suspiria]

Swim has coneflowers growing in his front yard.This is the plant echinacea comes from.They are large purple flowers.How does swim harvest the echinacea and make it useable?Would it be of good quality?

[tayo]

"
For medicinal purposes, you'll want to harvest some roots and some flower tops. For best quality, wait until your plants are 3 years old. Roots are harvested in the fall when the tops have gone to seed and the plants have experienced a couple of hard frosts. Tops are harvested just as the flowers start to open. Whether harvesting tops or roots, the dried herb will be good for one year. Be sure to date the jars containing the herb so you won't use them past their potency date."
from here.
http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/t...coneflower.asp

[Orchid_Suspiria]

Swims echinacea plant is much,much older than three years.As swim said it's rather large.It wasn't til recently that swim learned that this flower was indeed the source of echinacea.Swim hasn't had alot of experience with echinacea but he is sure that if fresh and taken from his own garden it will be of a quality not found in stores.

[tayo]

Damn, I want an echinacea plant! That tea is amazing. Alot of goodies.

[Orchid_Suspiria]

They are pretty easy to grow they are also beautiful plants.They seem to do well in the humidity where swim lives.Bees,butterflies,and humming birds also seem to love them.