OVERVIEW

Backyard healing! Plantain loves disturbance. It is a common weed of cultivated pastures, cracks in sidewalks, back yard gardens, and any place that experiences regular activity. Plantain has been used for centuries as edible food and for its beneficial properties. According to western folklore, the leaf was chewed and placed on the skin for its ability to draw a splinter, or similar nuisance, out.

In traditional western herbalism, plantain leaves have been infused with a multitude of herbs. Plantain can be valuable externally and is found in each Clary product listed below. 

SUGGESTED USES

Plantain leaf is commonly steeped as a tea and combined with other botanicals in herbal infusions. See a quick easy recipe:

"Medicinal" HERBAL TEA 

For colds and flu use 1 tbls. dry or fresh whole Plantain (seed, root, and leaves) to 1 cup boiling water, steep 10 min + strain. Drink through the day. 

 Herbal Plantain Bath Bags

Bath bags are insanely easy to create and put together.

To make, start with a few of your favorite dried herbs. My favorite, I chose dried lavender and plantain leaves.

Crumble them up slightly and stuff in a cotton muslin bag LIKE THESE or an old clean sock.

You may also decide to include other ingredients such as Epsom salt (helps sore muscles), sea salt (contains natural minerals) and oatmeal (soothes skin irritation and itchiness) to enrich your bath further.

Once the bag is filled, tie tightly and drop in warm running water as it fills your tub.

Take a bath as usual and enjoy!

• It is also used to kill germs and reduce swelling. Some people apply great plantain directly to the affected area for skin conditions, bee or wasp stings or eye irritation.
• The young, spring leaves can be eaten as food in salads.
• A poultice of the leaves can be applied to wounds, stings, and sores in order to facilitate healing and prevent infection. The active chemical constituents are aucubin (an anti-microbial agent), allantoin (which stimulates cellular growth and tissue regeneration), and mucilage (which reduces pain and discomfort).
• Plantain has astringent properties, and a tea made from the leaves can be ingested to treat diarrhea and soothe raw internal membranes.
• Broadleaf plantain is also a very nutritious leaf vegetable that is high in calcium and vitamins A, C, and K.The young, tender leaves can be eaten raw, and the older, stringier leaves can be boiled in stews and eaten. Broadleaf plantain is not related to the fruit also known as plantain, which is a kind of banana.