Echinacea

The Cheyenne used it for sore gums, the Comanches, for toothaches and sore throats. Other Native Americans kept it on hand for snakebites or syphilis.Modern Americans seem to love the stuff, too, even if we can't pronounce it. In fact, echinacea -- that's eck-in-EH-shia -- is now the top selling herbal remedy in health food stores, though garlic and ginseng claim top honors in overall sales.Unlike many medicinal herbs, this daisy-like flower, also known as purple coneflower, quite literally has its roots in America, not Asia.