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Plantain

250+ Organic Broadleaf Plantain Seeds ~ Plantago major *Free US shipping* | eBayPlantain is plentifully growing everywhere in nature here in West Virginia.  You can see it flourishing in yards, roadsides, fields; wherever humans create soil compaction.  It’s a very easy plant to identify, its leaves have vertical striations reminding me of the rind of a watermelon.  The leaves grow close to the ground in a wheel like formation and its flower heads are long, narrow, and green.  This plant is my personal favorite go to first aid remedy.  You can chew a few of the leaves to create an herbal poultice and apply to your skin to draw out infection and debris from the surface of a wound.


BOTANICAL NAME: Plantago major. P. laceolata

COMMON NAME(S):  Narrow leaf plantain (P.lanceolata), ribwort plantain (P.lanceolata), greater plantain (P. major), psyllium (P.ovara) all 34 species of Plantago genus are edible & medicinal, white man’s foot, white man’s footsteps, English man’s foot, waybread, snakeweed, soldiers, kemps, fireleaves, ripple grass, broadleaf, cuckoo’s beard, rat tail. (Planta means ‘foot’ in Latin)

FAMILY: Plantaginaceae

PARTS USED:  Primarily leaf, but also seed and root.

ENERGETICS AND TASTES: Bland, bitter, astringent, demulcent, cooling

ACTIONS AND PROPERTIES:  Alterative, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antivenom, astringent, demulcent, diuretic, moistening, expectorant, hemostatic, vulnerary.

CONSTITUENTS:  Leaf: Iridoid glycosides (2.5% including aucubin, catalpol); tannins (6.5%); polysaccharides, (galactose, xylose, arabnose, and rhamnose (E mucilage), mucilage (2%); alkaloids (plantagonine, asperuloside); flavonoids (baicalein, apigenin, scutellarin, nepetin, hispidulin, luteolin, plantagoside) (8).

Mark Pederson, author of Nutritional Herbology, writes that plantain seed is high in calcium, fiber, protein (amino acids) and fat (fatty acids, including Omega-3s) as well as silicon, sodium and zinc (4). The seed oat is made up of 30% mucilage, which absorbs toxins in the digestive tract and supports elimination by lubricating the colon (5).

DESCRIPTION:  Both plantago major and lanceolata have a rosette of smooth-edged green leaves ribbed with long, parallel veins that are more prominent on the underside.  Ribwort plantain (P.lanceolata) has longer, hairy, narrow leaves that taper gradually to their narrow bases and very short stalks.  They have short, dense, blackish flower heads (with creaming stamens) on leafless stems.  In comparison, Greater Plantain (P.major) has broader leaves which are hairless or with short hair and taper more abruptly into distinct leaf stalks which can be as long as the leaves themselves.  The flower head is long, narrow and green (brown when dead).  Plantago major’s flower spike extends down almost the entire length of its stem (1).

HABITAT & PROPAGATION:  Plantain is native to Europe and Asia, but is naturalized throughout North America & Australia.  Plantain grows in dry, disturbed and depleted soils, in short, grazed grasslands, along hedgerows and roadsides, and on waste grounds (1).  Plantain is an excellent cover drop for soils harmed by extractive agriculture or repeated trampling.  It is an early succession crop that thrives wherever humans create soil compaction, helping to prevent erosion, break up compaction and replenish the top soil until others can arrive.

Propagates easily by seed.  Harvest the young leaves anytime of year, buy ideally in the late spring before the flower.  The seed heads may be gathered when ripe.

SOLUBILITY:  water, alcohol, oil

USES & INDICATIONS:  Most people first come to know plantain as a first aid herb to alleviate itching and pain from bee stings or mosquito bites.  It is indeed a wonderful ally for first aid including bites, cuts, scrapes, stings, rashes and puncture wounds.  It soothes, cools, disinfects, staunches bleeding and speeds tissue healing.  Plantain also has an extra special action of drawing infections or debris to the surface of a wound.  It can help draw out splinters, stingers, venom and other poisons (think spider bites, bee stings, even snake bites-all of which contain venom).  It is effective as a spit poultice, and can also be added to salves, medicated clays, or used as a wash or compress.

As a vulnerary it can help to heal tissues internally as well.  I love plantain leaf as a tea/infusion for leaky guy syndrome.  Its astringency and vulnerary actions help to heal the gut lining, reduce inflammation, soothe the irritated tissues through its demulcent action, and help keep the “bad” microbes in check if they are out of balance.  It also makes a good tea for gastric ulcers (along with chamomile).

The demulcent action can also be helpful for constipation.  Here the seed is best as it contains much more mucilage than the leaf, but the leaf can also be used in combination with other bulk laxatives or tonics for the colon.  It can have a supportive role in a formula for any kind of -‘itis’, including colitis, diverticulitis, gastritis, bronchitis, cystitis, or gingivitis.

For bronchitis, it is most effective for the dry, irritated types of coughs.  For cystitis, it is effective as a tea (teas are best for treating gut or kidneys), especially if it prepared as a cold infusion to extract more mucilage.  This will make it more soothing to the mucosal membranes of the urinary tract.  Its drawing action will exert an effect here, and it will cool, soothe, and moisten at the same time as it treats the infection.  The diuretic action combined with its aucubin content supports the kidney’s production and elimination of uric acid (7).

PREPARATION & DOSAGE:  For internal use, plantain can be prepared as a tea or a tincture.  Hot tea is preferable when treating ailments of the digestive or respiratory tracts.  Cold infusions will be more specific for kidneys and cystitis.

A wide range of dosage exists and depends on the type of ailment you are trying to treat.  In acute situations, 1-2 ml of tincture or 4-6 cups of infusion per day would not be too much.  To make an infusion, use 1 TBSP of dried leaves and steep at least 15 minutes, up to 10 hours.

For topical use, you can use plantain as a fresh plant poultice, infused into oil, infused in rubbing alcohol as a liniment, or prepared as a strong infusion for use as a wash or compress.

The seeds can be stirred into water or blended into smoothies as a bulk laxative.

COMBINATIONS: 

  • For minor cuts/scrapes/burns: plantain leaf with comfrey leaf and calendula flower infused oils.
  • To stop bleeding and treat puncture wounds: plantain leaf and yarrow prepared as a wash or compress.
  • For poison ivy or contact dermatitis: plantain leaf and jewelweed.
  • For infections: combine with goldenseal, yarrow, and echinacea.
  • For diarrhea: use seed, possibly alongside yellow dock or triphala.
  • For cystitis: plantain leaf with uva ursi, marshmallow root and juniper berry.
  • For bronchitis/dry coughs: use with elecampane, licorice and thyme.
  • For ulcers: combine with chamomile, and/or slippery elm, marshmallow root or licorice.

REFERENCES:

  1. Plants and Habitats, Ben Averis
  2. Zevin, Igor Vilevich. A Russian Herbal: Traditional Remedies for Health and Healing.  Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press, 1997. Pgs.].
  3. “Plants in the Saxon World.” PSU Medieval Garden. Web.  Accessed 10 Feb. 2017.
  4. Nutritional Herbology, Mark Pedersen.
  5. The Wild Wisdom of Weeds, Katrina Blair.
  6. Meteria Medica.  Tehran:  Tehran University of Medical Sciences; 2005. Dioscorides’s
  7. Tierra, Michael.  The Way of Herbs. New York: Pocket Books, 1980.  Pgs 179-180.
  8. Plantain monograph, Materia Medica Monthly produced by the Sajah Popham at the School of Evolutionary Herbalism.

This article is for educational purposes only. This information has not been reviewed by the FDA and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.

Yarrow

(Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow’s genus name ‘Achillea’ refers to the Greek warrior Achilles who is said to have carried this plant with him on the battlefield. This speaks to the traditional use of yarrow for wound-healing, a use for which it is best known.

I personally used a yarrow poultice and did a yarrow foot soak when I put a 1/2″ deep gouge in the top of my foot with a hand sickle. It worked great. The bleeding was slowed and the wound remained clean. It healed quickly without the need for stitches. Yarrow is a must-have for any first aid kit, but its uses go way beyond first aid…


Parts Used: aerial parts

Actions: vulnerary, antiseptic, hemostatic, emmenagogue, bitter tonic, circulatory tonic, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory

Taste: bitter, aromatic

Energetics: Cooling (but also sometimes warming), drying (but also sometimes moistening)

Uses: Yarrow’s vulnerary (tissue-healing), antiseptic (stops infection) and hemostatic (stops bleeding) properties make it ideal for treating a variety of cuts and wounds (including perineal tears, hemorrhoids and any kind of hemorrhaging). A fresh leaf poultice applied directly to the wound is great if you have access to the fresh leaf. If not, you can make a tea from the dried leaf to use as a wash, a soak or a compress.

Taken internally as a tea or tincture yarrow can help staunch excessive menstrual bleeding, resolve bruises, and bring fresh blood flow to cold/stagnant areas. This is why herbalist Matthew Wood refers to yarrow as the “great normalizer” of the blood. Yarrow can work amphoterically (bi-directionally). It can staunch heavy flow and bring on a fuller flow when menses is scanty. It can both aid in clotting and reduce clotting/thin the blood, depending on what the body needs.

In addition to regulating the viscosity of the blood, yarrow is a blood-mover. Yarrow flowers especially excel as a diaphoretic, meaning that they move blood to the surface to release heat through the pores. This is why it has been a favorite remedy for fevers. Yarrow is often combined with elder flower and peppermint as a cooling/relaxing diaphoretic tea (best drunk hot).

As a cold infusion, yarrow exerts a stronger influence on the digestive & urinary systems. As a urinary antiseptic, it can be helpful in cystitis. And as a bitter tonic, yarrow stimulates digestive secretion, strengthening assimilation & elimination. Its tissue-healing action can be felt in the GI tract where it helps to heal leaky gut, and inflammation of the intestines (colitis, gastritis, diverticulitis, etc.)

Indications: lacerations, bruises, active hemorrhaging, nosebleeds, excessive menstrual bleeding, dark or scanty menses with clots, thick/viscous blood with clots, history of or high risk for strokes, venous congestion, varicose veins, stagnation of portal vein, acute fever (especially when the skin is cool and the person is not breaking a sweat), cystitis, gastritis, colitis, diverticulitis (any ‘itis’), stroke.

With all that I have read about the possible complications of both ‘ronavirus and the injections, I cannot help but think of yarrow. It could be very beneficial for reducing the side effects of the injections, including clotting, strokes, and bleeding disorders. ‘Ronavirus is primarily a vascular pathology and yarrow, as the ‘normalizer of the blood’ could be very appropriate for these times. Even more so when you consider the relationship between this pandemic and 5G…yarrow flower essence offers protection against environmental toxins. It is said to strengthen our own forcefield and shield you from all forms of toxic energies. So I think it is a very appropriate herb on all levels- physical as well as spiritual.

Dosage: Dosage plays a huge role in the physical vs spiritual effects. With a tincture, you can use anywhere from 1-40 drops. The smaller drop doses work on the subtler emotional & spiritual energies while the larger doses (20-40 drops) have a stronger effect on the material body. For more information on energetic vs material dosing, check out our Dosing Guide. For a yarrow infusion, 1 TBSP of herb to 12 oz. boiling water steeped for 10 minutes is pretty standard.

Harvesting: You can start to harvest the leaves in late spring, before the flower comes. The flowers are harvested at their peak (early-mid summer). I like to harvest the top 6″ of the flower stalk, including the smaller leaves on the stalk. These leaves & flowers can be tinctured fresh or dried for tea.

Cautions: because it is a blood-mover, yarrow should not be used in high doses during pregnancy. Small amounts are fine when it is indicated. Also, yarrow belongs to the Asteraceae family, which includes ragweed, chamomile, sunflower, etc. Some people have allergies to plants in this family.

Products: You can find yarrow in many of our house-made products, including:

Works Consulted:

Wood, Matthew. “The Indispensable Blood Remedy” https://www.matthewwoodherbs.com/Yarrow.html 

Calendula

(Calendula officinalis)

With Spring in the air, it feels appropriate to celebrate calendula, also known as Herbal Sunshine. Calendula is a great herb for spring detoxification as well as warm-weather skin conditions & first aid.

Family: Asteraceae

Names: pot marigold

Parts Used: whole flowering head

Energetics: primarily bitter, subtly sweet & pungent, warming, drying

Actions: lymphagogue, alterative, vulnerary, bitter tonic/cholagogue, antiseptic, diaphoretic, emmenagogue

Properties & Uses: Calendula brings warmth & light to cold & stagnant places in the body, for the “places where the sun don’t shine” (Chris Hafner, acupuncturist). As a lymphatic herb, Calendula maintains balance in fluid metabolism by clearing stagnation, keeping the channels of elimination open and detoxifying. This helps to keep pathogenic bacteria at bay. Calendula is also antiseptic and vulnerary (speeds tissue repair), making it especially useful in purulent wounds, slow-to-heal wounds, and “swollen, hot, painful, pus-filled tissue” (Matthew Wood). All of these are conditions of damp heat, usually the result of stagnation or coldness in the tissue. Calendula has a soothing, anti-inflammatory quality, reducing itchiness and irritation. It is a valuable remedy for inflammations external and internal in the GI tract. As an alterative, it supports immune function by cleansing the blood of lymphatic congestion & lingering infections. Its warming qualities promote sweating, thin fluids and warm the stomach/solar plexus (Matthew Wood). Calendula is best suited for cold, damp, Kapha conditions & constitutions.

Indications: swollen glands, lingering, unresolved infections (look for swollen tongue with red papillae), sunburn, burns, sores, ulcers, insect bites, swollen, painful, pus-filled tissue, hard-to-cure wounds, candida, gum disease, diaper rash, GI inflammation, leaky gut, painful menstruation, Seasonal Affective Disorder, psychological melancholy, immunological deficiency, symptoms worse in cold/damp weather

Contraindications: avoid large amounts during pregnancy due to emmenagogue action; not appropriate for signs of excess heat/ for hot/fiery constitutions.

Preparation & Dosage: Infusion- 1 ounce of flowers to 1 quart of boiling water; drink 2 cups a day or use externally as a local application. Tincture- 1-4 ml three times a day. Topical preparations include fresh plant poultices or infused oil. Infused oil can be used neat or turned into lotions & salves.

Click Here for a Recipe for Calendula Cream

**This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease**