Plantain is kind of one of my favourite medicinal plants, yet it is commonly seen these days as an invasive weed. So readily available, it has been called "white man's footsteps" by the people native to this land because anywhere the white man stepped it appeared.
plantain leaf
I have a huge area of Plantago Major growing right outside my front door and I welcome it. It grows readily on disturbed land so the area where our snow plow scrapes the earth during winter is lush with growth in the spring. You can find plantain growing up out of cracks in pavement it so eagerly wants to be found and to share its gifts with us. It will grow from spring through fall here in NS and I can pick the leaves from the same plant many times through the growing season.
easiest way to id plantian: the long flowering stalks that set seed
The ways in which I use plantain are many.
Edible when young as a leafy green and highly medicinal when matured. In the summer I pick the young leaves and eat them fresh. I also harvest as much as I can in the fall and freeze, dry, and tincture this gift of the land.
Internally, plantain leaf can be used to boost immune system due to high levels of vitamins a and c, and is anti-inflammatory due to compounds such as apigenin. Plantain soothes lung tissues by acting as an antispasmodic, and reduces the amount of mucus produced by the body, so is helpful in treating common coughs and colds, as well as more serious conditions such as asthma. It is antibacterial due to the chemical aucubin and contains allantoin which, as I've mentioned before in this post on comfrey stimulates cell production.
dried plantain leaves
Mucilage is the anti-inflammatory substance in plantain leaves that soothes internally and externally. Here is a quick remedy for bug bites and stings that I employ all summer long:
- Find some plantain, brush off the dirt, and pop it in your mouth. Chew it up into a moist wad and then use it as a poultice on any bite or sting. The itch will disappear.
Any salve can be infused with the benefits of plantain by making an infused oil and using it in the recipe.
frozen plantain leaves
When I drink a plantain smoothie or a big cup of plantain tea I know I'm nourishing my body with high doses of minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron.
I add frozen plantain leaves to smoothies all winter long!
I also prepare a green smoothie for my chickens as a treat or if they come down with a cold. Blended plantain, garlic, and oregano is a powerful immune boosting germ killing puree. I pour it over their feed and they eat it right up!
dried plantain stalk
Another useful part of the plant are the seeds. When dried, these seeds can be ground into a powder and used as a bulking laxative. Ever heard of Metamucil? Yup, that's made from the outside hull of the plantain seed, from the variety plantago psyllium.
homemade plantain tincture
Plantain tincture is a strong medicine. I use this in combination with other lung strengthing herbs in my herbal cough syrup recipe. A family member has just been diagnosed with diverticulitis and has asked me to prepare some medicines for them so that they can avoid a double round of antibiotics. I will be offering plantain tincture as one of the remedies, to maximize the antibacterial, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative benefits.
I hope you enjoyed the information about this amazing medicinal plant Plantain, Plantago Major. Please resteem if you feel this information would be helpful to others!
