Plaintain – How To Identify and

Use This Edible and Medicinal

‘Weed’
Tara Dodrill Natural Health and Survival Medicine 2 Comments

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Plantain is one of the most readily available and easily identifiable edible and
medicinal weeds in the United States. It contains a lot of protein for a plant, making it
a great survival food source. The that Psyllium plantain contains are one of the
primary reasons it is also a potent wild medicinal plant.
Plantain is also referred to (although less commonly) as wagbread and rippleseed. The
botanical scientific name for broadleaf plantain is Plantago major. Long or narrow
leaf plantain is also a wild edible, and a medicinal weed that grows in most regions of
the United States.

Broadleaf Plantain History

Alexander the Great is credited with bringing broadleaf plantain back to Europe with
him in 327 BC. The Saxons quickly grew to label it one of their nine most healing and
sacred herbs.

Native Americans referred to plantain as “white man’s foot.” This edible and
medicinal weed was so dubbed because everywhere the Native Americans traveled or
were herded, this healing and edible weed could always be found in great abundance.
Early Christians considered broadleaf plantain to be symbolic of the path devout
followers traveled as they went forth to spread the gospel.

Both ancient Roman and Greek doctors placed a high value on the healing powers of
plantain. The Greek Pedanius Dioscorides used plantain for wound healing, animal
bites, and burn treatment. Pliny the Roman used broadleaf plantain to care for patients
who had sustained bites from wild animals.

From ancient times through our modern era, broadleaf plantain has been considered a
natural aphrodisiac in some cultures.

photo: broadleaf plantain

Plantain Identification
Broadleaf plantain grows wild throughout the United States, most of North America,
Europe, and Asia. It is technically a noxious weed that pops up about anywhere there
is full sun.

If you take just a few moments to look down and around, you will almost assuredly
notice plantain growing in and adjacent to agricultural fields, along sidewalks in
suburbia, in parking lots in urban areas.

Leaves

Plantain is a perennial plant that grows from the early spring through the late fall. The
leaves on the broadleaf plantain plant are fairly egg shaped or oval. The edges are
wavy yet smooth. The leaves grow in a basal rosette shape.

Broadleaf leaves can range in width from half an inch wide when they are young, to
five inches wide in some cases. They have 5 to 7 veins running parallel from the base
that attaches to the stem.

Stems

The stems of the broadleaf plantain plant resemble a small version of celery. They
have an indentation right down the middle and are crisp when snapped. The stems are
thick at the base of the leaves.

The vein-type strings that are visible on both the front and the back of the leaves can
be traced to their raised origins on the back of the stem. Both the stems and the leaves
are basically hairless.

Flowers

Long stem style flower shoots grow up from the middle of the broadleaf plantain
plant. The flower shoots contain a long thin pod that is highly flexible, and house the
edible seeds of the plant.

Each shoot of spike is roughly the shape and height of a pencil. It has a coarse and
granular textures and very tiny green flowers. The flowers on the shoot measure
approximately 1/12 to ⅛ of an inch in diameter. Every flower has two stamens and
four petals, along with one pistil.

Broadleaf plantain flowers are present from spring through early fall. The seed pods
emerge beneath the flower as it withers away.

This edible and medicinal weed is typically capable of growing up to about 1 foot tall.

Plantain Edible Parts

You can eat every part of the broadleaf plantain plant. The younger the leaves, the
better most folks think they taste. But, in a survival situation, the flavor of a safe and
wild edible will be far less important than the nutrient value it can provide for your
body.

As the leaves of the broadleaf plantain plant age, they tend to also become far more
stringy and a bit tough. The aging leaves are better suited for use in teas, salves, and
tinctures. If eating the older leaves, they will taste far better if boiled or roasted.

The seeds from the plantain plant can be eaten raw, but are also often boiled, broiled,
or roasted.

Plantain Nutrients

Beta Carotene Iron

Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid
Calcium Oleanolic Acid
Vitamin K Baicalein
Allantoin Linoleic Acid
Flavonoids Vitamin A
Sorbitol Aucubin

You can use broadleaf plantain as a substitute for lettuce or greens of any type in
salads and recipes. This wild edible makes a tasty addition to salsa, pesto, and juices.

One of my favorite ways to make broadleaf plantain is to fry it up with green onions.
Toss a little bit of garlic and oregano on top of the onions, and you have a homegrown
or wild gourmet meal.
plantain root

How to Clean Plantain

Because plantain grows at ground level in high traffic area, it is constantly getting a
whole lot of mud, animal feces, and whatever else is on the bottom of shoes and
bicycle tires on it.

Instead of just washing in water, I soak the broadleaf plantain I forage in a bath of
either apple cider vinegar or baking soda.

Typically, I fill the sink with about a grocery store bag of broadleaf plantain plant
parts, enough water to cover them, and ½ of a cup of apple cider vinegar – or the
same amount of baking soda. Simply swish them around, then rinse.

Broadleaf Plantain and Psyllium

The seeds in the flower shoots contain Psyllium. As noted above, these tiny parts of
the broadleaf plant boast a myriad of nutrients. Several plant varieties produce
Psyllium, but plantain is a rich source of the compound and the easiest to find and
identify in most regions.

Even the folks over at the United States Food and Drug Administration are willing to
admit the value of Psyllium – something they rarely do when referencing either wild
or cultivated herbs.

The FDA now allows manufacturers who use an ingredient with Psyllium to note on
the label that it can be effective in reducing the chances of heart disease and help
lower cholesterol.

Psyllium seed husks are a potent source of dietary fiber. The compounds in the seeds
are indigestible, and often used in over the counter medications designed to combat
diarrhea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome. The natural matter in the seed
husks might also be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes.

Other conditions Psyllium may help combat include:

Colon Cancer (rats study) Bleeding Hemorrhoids

Bronchitis Gallstones
Urinary Tract Infections Incontinence
Crohn’s’s Disease High Blood Pressure
Dysentery Psoriasis
High cholesterol

Helping to enhance and maintain gut health is another medicinal use for the
compounds found in broadleaf plantain seed husks. Ground psyllium seeds can be
used as a flour alternative for folks who are on a gluten free diet.

July through September is generally the best time to harvest Psyllium from the
plantain shoots. If you wait until later in the fall to harvest them, they can be cut at the
base of the stalks and hung to dry like herbs.

To harvest the Psyllium, run a knife (a butter knife will work) backwards on the
broadleaf plantain flower shoot stalk – or simply use your fingernails if you are a
female prepper who hasn’t lost all of her working around the survival homestead.

Grind up the seeds so they can be used to make nutrient-rich protein shakes, sprinkled
on both cold and warm cereal – they are delicious on oatmeal.

The plantain seeds that contain Psyllium can also be used whole in tea, as well as both
edible and medicinal recipes. Try using the seeds in bread and muffin recipes, it adds
a robust flavor.

Some folks staunchly maintain they experience more natural healing benefits when
the seeds containing Psyllium are ground. If you dry the seeds and store them in a
container with a firm-fitting lid in a cool dark place, they should have at least a 2 year
shelf life.

Long leaf plantain looks distinctively different in length and shape than broadleaf
plantain:

long-leaf plantain

Broadleaf Plantain Medicinal Benefits

This awesome edible and medicinal weed might most frequently be used in
homemade natural salves or poultices. It has incredible drawing power, and can help
draw out toxins and splinters from the body.

The compounds in broadleaf plantain boast antimicrobial, astringent, anti-

inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-hemorrhagic properties.
This wild medicinal weed is also a superb expectorant, the primary reason it is used in
natural remedies to treat bronchitis. The aucubin in plantain enhances the secretion of
uric acid from the kidneys, helping to prevent stones from forming. The apigenin in
the plant is a natural anti-inflammatory compound.

During a survival situation, you can simply pick some leaves, chew on them or crush
them, and wrap them around the injured area.

Broadleaf plantain, when crafted into a salve, wound wash, or poultice mixture and
left on until it hardens to the point it is dry, it can help treat various types of wounds,
sunburn, poison ivy, as well as insect bites and stings.

The astringent properties in broadleaf plantain are what make this wild healing weed a
good natural remedy ingredient in recipes designed to treat colitis, diarrhea, stomach
ailments, gastritis, and other bowel related issues.

It has long been used as a remedy for stomach and bowel infections, as well as urinary
tract infections, and because the herb has antispasmodic and demulcent effect it can
be used to soothe irritation and reduce spasms in relation to colic in infants and young
children.

Respiratory Infections

The expectorant properties in plantain can make it an effective ingredient in natural

remedies designed to reduce the secretion of mucus into airways, when a person is
suffering from the common cold, bronchitis, tonsillitis, asthma, hay fever, sinusitis,
and lung infections.

More Conditions Broadleaf Plantain Is Used To Naturally Treat:

Mouth Sores Throat Infections

Asthma Colic
Hemorrhoids Poison Oak
Stomach Ulcers Hay Fever
Urinary Tract Infections Bladder Infections
Indigestion Sinusitis
Kidney Infections Poison Sumac
Yeast Infections Psoriasis
Varicose Veins

How to Use Broadleaf Plantain as a Natural

Medicine
Wound Washes, Salves, and Infusions

Salves, wound washes, and infusions can be used to treat a plethora of injuries in a
topical manner. When making a healing salve, always mix the recipe in a non-metallic
pot.
I typically use a ratio of 1 cup of carrier oil or lard with 1 pound of fresh plantain
leaves. Use your favorite carrier oil, but I recommend olive oil, coconut oil, or almond
oil.

The salve is also a great natural anti-wrinkle night cream or chest rub when battling a
cold or respiratory infection.

A hot or cold infusion of broadleaf plantain that a wound can be soaked in or have the
solution sprayed upon to help it heal. You could use this same delivery method can be
used when treating sunburn as well as poison ivy, oak, and sumac, or opt to use a
healing salve made out of the broadleaf plantain plant for a long-lasting and solid
topical treatment.

When making an infusion from this wild medicinal plant, you can use water, but it
will most likely be far more potent and boast a longer shelf life if the parts of the pant
are steeped in apple cider vinegar. Vinegar infused with plantain typically helps
soothe the skin or soreness and itching almost immediately.

When a broadleaf plantain-based infusion, salve, or wound wash is used to treat an

injury, it may also help speed up the healing process and stem blood flow.

Broadleaf has also been used as a primary active ingredient in natural remedies to
treat snake bites and even first degree burns.

A vinegar infusion can be used to soak blistered, burnt, or rashed skin with. The same
mixture can be used as a shampoo The broadleaf plantain infusion can be mixed with
one part bentonite clay or baking soda and used as a skin mash as part of a natural
beauty routine.

Tea

Make a cup of broadleaf plantain tea to treat kidney infections, urinary tract
infections, stomach ache, bladder infections, yeast infections, irritable bowel
syndrome, and heartburn.

To make the tea taste better, especially if using older broadleaf plantain leaves, stir in
some raw honey. This will not only make the tea taste sweeter, it will infuse it with
even more healing properties.

Broadleaf Plantain Dosage Recommendations

Broadleaf plantain tea dosage is recommended for no more than three cups a day for
adults. This recommendation is based upon the tea being made from about ½ of a
teaspoon (approximately 3 grams) of either fresh or dried leaves and a standard coffee
cup filled with water.

When using fresh leaves chewed and turned into a mush for application to a wound,
bite, or sting, about two to five times per day.
Infusions or tinctures are typically recommended to be administered no more than
three times per day to adults who are given three milligram doses.

Possible Plantain Side Effects

Although broadleaf plantain is pretty soundly considered a safe wild plant to be used
both topically and internally by folks of all ages, taking it might not be without some
risk.

Pregnant and nursing mothers should avoid consumption and use of broadleaf
plantain until more studies are conducted on the safety of such exposure.

In addition, some folks are hypersensitive to psyllium, as reported here.

Disclaimer
I am not a medical professional of any type. The broadleaf plantain information
presented here is purely for educational and research purposes only. Neither me, nor
the website or the company behind it shall be held liable for any injury or side-effects
as a result of following the information in this article.

Even when an ingredient in a home remedy comes from nature and your spouse or
best friend raves about it, that does not negate the possibility of you having an allergic
reaction to the same dose. Discussing the use of broadleaf plantain with your doctor
before beginning use is highly recommended.