dried elecampane root

Inula helenium One of my alltime favorite herbs. Elecampagne is easy to grow, loves full sun and good drainage and makes such a statement in the garden. Her flowers are like perfect little sun stars climbing home to the skies! Her leaves are so huge and protective feeling. And the stalk, so strong and virile! This root is matched by none for lung clearing. Just looking into her flower eyes in the summer makes me take a big breath and feel so grateful for breathing!  This is great for tincture 1:5 @60%, or as a strong tea decoction, or my favorite way ~ steeped in honey and gently heated on a double broiler over the woodstove for a winter's evening. I learned to make syrups by combining all three of these for a most pungent kick to the gnarly phlegm monsters of fall and winter!    harvested fall 2025