How To Use Plantain as Herbal Medicine

Plantain is so common that as herbalists, it's one of the first plants we learn about. Plantain is a versatile plant with many uses. The most common use is to draw out material from the skin. This applies to splinters, bee stings, pieces of glass, or any other unwanted material that has made its way into the skin. Even for open cuts, plantain can help remove dirt and debris and even pus from the wound. Plantain has added benefits for open wounds in that it's antibacterial so it will help prevent an infection. Even better, plantain actually helps heal the wound. This is because the plant contains a compound called allantoin which helps regenerate the skin as well as a mucilaginous compound which is slippery. The slippery attribute is soothing and calming to hot, irritated conditions both inside and outside the body. The best way to use plantain for external purposes is simply to pick a leaf, chew it up, and place it right on the afflicted area just as I'm doing here. This is called a poultice. It really is just that simple. You can then place a bandage over the area and hold it in place. I would replace it with a new one when the plant dries. Additional uses for a plantain poultice would include acne, poison ivy, eczema, and burns including sunburn. A good idea is to make a salve from the plantain leaves so it will be readily available for you in your first aid kit. This is helpful for times outside of the growing season or for travel. The mucilaginous quality of plantain helps to soothe mucous membranes when used internally. These include the mucous membranes of the lungs so plantain is often used for coughs where there is heat and irritated conditions such as a dry cough. The intestines and the bladder also have mucous membranes so plantain is soothing to these areas as well. Conditions that would warrant the use of plantain include urinary tract infections, cystitis, colitis, and even ulcers. It's best to use a tea for these conditions. The common plantain has its origin in Europe as well as northern and central Asia. It has now found its way around the planet and is naturalized and established nearly everywhere. Once you learn to identify it, it's easy to find and readily available in many places. It prefers poor soils that have been disturbed and it's one of the plants that first populates areas that see a lot of foot traffic which is really interesting. Plantain moves right in and withstands those stresses that other plants would never be able to survive in. Each plant produces lots and lots of seeds so the plant quite easily spreads. Look for plantain on any walking trail whether it's the sun or the shade. It really thrives in yards that have been mowed and this is what makes it such a great remedy. When you need it, it's often not far away. To identify plantain, look for wide leaves on short stalks all emanating from a basal rosette that looks like this. A basal rosette is where all of the leaf stalks come directly from one point at the base of the plant. The leaves are oval and leathery feeling with a bit of a point at the tip. They'll be smaller than the size of your hand when they are tread upon a lot and then they can be larger if they aren't. They don't have any teeth but they are a bit wavy on the edges. Another distinguishing feature are the deep parallel veins as you can see on these leaves. They start together from the base of the leaf and end together again at the tip of the leaf. To really make sure that you have the correct plant, pull one of the leaves from as far down as you can from the base of the plant. Look closely at the base and you'll see two fine threads extending from the end of the stem. This is a unique feature and I'm not aware of any other plants that have it. The flower is not showy at all. It arises out of the basal rosette on a single stem and it looks like this when it's in full bloom and you can see how many seeds there are that will be spreading. There are a number of different types of plantain but the most often encountered is the common plantain which is the one we're talking about in this lesson. It's also called broadleaf plantain. Another frequently encountered plantain is the narrowleaf plantain which is also often called English plantain. The botanical name for that one is Plantago lanceolata. This plantain is similar in appearance to the common plantain but the leaf is much more narrow and longer and the flower is also a bit different. But it can be used in the same way as the common plantain. For my free herbalism course, go to herbalismcourses.com. You'll get quick access to my favorite herbal remedies for cold and flu, first aid, herbs for energy, and natural medicine found right in your own kitchen. Look forward to seeing you there.