BLACK-EYED SUSAN

                                                                                                         Rudbeckia hirta

The roots of Rudbeckia hirta, can be used like the related Echinacea purpurea.
The roots have been used in a warm infusion or tea as a wash for sores, minor cuts, scrapes & swellings, in a poultice for snake bites & to make medicinal drinks for treating colds.
Juice from the roots had been used as drops for earaches.
Recent studies indicate that extracts made from the black-eyed Susan root can be beneficial in stimulating the immune system & in that regard being even more effective than the better known medicinal plant Echinacea.
The root has been used traditionally as an herbal remedy to rid the body of parasitic worms.
An herbal remedy in the form of an infusion from the roots is used traditionally to treat dropsy. 

PRECAUTIONS:

There are no reports of side effects associated with the use of black-eyed Susan root but the seeds are poisonous & are not recommended for human consumption.

RECIPES:

To make a tea, add 5 teaspoons of the dried root to a cup of boiling water & steep for a few minutes then strain the tea to remove the irritating hairs.