Backyard Herbs – Part 4 – Plantain
Plantain, along with dandelion, is an abundant and helpful weed that can be found most anywhere. It’s a great herbal friend to get to know. It’s easily recognizable by the seed head at the end of long stems. We called them “shooters” when I was a kid. We wrapped the stem around itself and popped the seed head off…shooters.
Plantain is great first aid for bee stings, mosquito bites, scrapes or any skin irritation. Plantain will also help draw out splinters. The easiest way to apply it is to make a spit poultice. Just pick some leaves (that you are certain aren’t sprayed with chemicals, or pottied on by dogs) and pop them into your mouth and chew. Put the wet (try to include as much “juice” as you can) onto the affected area. You can cover with a bandaid if you have one. It’s amazing how rapidly healing progresses with a little help from plantain.
Tea can be made from plantain leaves and drunk to soothe throat irritation, a nagging cough or urinary tract irritation.
If you look for plantain the next time you have a sting, bite or splinter, just look around and you will surely find her waiting to help.
2 comments 
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June 14th, 2010 at 12:47 am
Wow! Who would have guessed. I have been pulling plantains out of a yard I care for. They get in the flower beds. There plenty still in the fields just in case.
June 14th, 2010 at 5:17 am
It’s almost everywhere, which is great to know when traveling.