Welcome to Herb Notes. I'm Tara Ruth from LearningHerbs.
Chances are you've probably stepped on your fair share of the herb plantain. This abundant medicinal plant loves to grow within pathways and even the most well-manicured lawns. It's so prolific, in fact, that when many people see it growing wildly in their yard they weed it out and hope it doesn't come back.
But herbalists know that this common herb offers many extraordinary healing gifts. Not only is plantain a first aid superstar, it also helps with more chronic issues too.
Let's dive into 3 benefits of the common herb plantain...
One: plantain can promote tissue repair in minor, non-infected wounds like scrapes and cuts. Plus, plantain is an herbal drawing agent, meaning it can help draw out small splinters.
Two: plantain can soothe inflammation in the digestive tract. I often drink dried or fresh plantain leaf tea to soothe my stomach, and I also swish with plantain tea when I get canker sores.
Three: as a cooling, anti-inflammatory herb, plantain excels at supporting mild red, itchy skin issues like dry skin, sunburns, and insect bites. I often include plantain in my all-purpose salves and lotions because it is so versatile and calming for skin inflammation.
So to recap, here are three ways that you can use plantain.
One, you can work with plantain to promote tissue repair topically.
Two, you can call on plantain to soothe inflammation in the G.I. tract
Three, you can use plantain to help address red, itchy skin issues like dry skin, sunburns, and big bites.
And right now you may be asking yourself, what kind of plantain can I use?
In the U.S. Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major and Plantago rugelii) is one of the two types of plantain commonly used as a medicinal herb. The other type is narrowleaf or ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata). All of these species can be worked with interchangeably and offer the 3 benefits I've highlighted here.
Want to learn more about plantain's benefits?
Visit herb notes.cards to grab a free deck of our top 12 herb notes. You'll learn all about common herbs like catnip, yarrow, echinacea, cinnamon and more.
This has been Herb Notes with me, Tara, Ruth, catch you next time.
