Plantain Weed grows everywhere. It's one I have spend hours pulling out of my yard and tossing in the garbage. That unsightly weed was the bain of my flower beds and I was determined to get rid of it but it keeps growing. Now I know better and I encourage that weed to grow so I can harvest it.
Plantain is one of the most useful weeds on the planet. There are 200 varieties and all are equally effective as a medicine that can stop the sting of a bee bite, heal a wound, stop stomach upset, decrease your thirst and heal mouth sores. It can be used as an expectorant for coughs and colds, sooth hemoriods and, believe it or not, it does even more. It can be dried, frozen, made into a poultice, tincture, chewed or made into a warm soothing tea. It's chocked full of vitamins A and C so putting the leaves of this plant into your salad is very healthy.
The Native American Indians called plantain, White Man's Foot because everywhere white man stepped it grew they said. The Indians had many uses for it but mostly they mixed it with clay then applied it to an infected wound and wrapped it with cloth. The astringent antibiotic properties of the plantain mixed with the clay would work to draw the infection from the wound while healing it.
This is one of the most useful medicine plants on the planet so when you see this weed pick it to use. I'm going to make some medicine to keep on hand through the winter. I used it mixed with bentonite clay on a tick bite and it stopped the itch immediately. We are heading to USA north Arkansas on the Thanksgiving holiday where there are miles of untouched land and plantain grows everywhere so I'm going to do some harvesting before winter sets in.
