Plantain - The Classic Drawing Herb


Foraging for herbs has a couple of big drawbacks and those are BUG BITES and POISON IVY!

Plantain is the classic drawing herb and was once used in what Mamaw called "that ol' black salve," (along with activated charcoal, which made it black.)

But plantain is not only great for for bee stings, and mosquito bites. It's also wonderful for poison ivy, and other itchy rashes. A plantain salve I made up a couple of days ago has been my constant companion as of late. I even take it to bed with me. It's been a life saver. I do believe plantain is my favorite herb right now.

A few summers ago, my brother came over with a big ugly spider bite.  I mean, this bite looked BAD, and as a home health nurse who's seen a bunch of wounds, that is saying a lot.  Anyway, he had been to the doctor, but this big bad bite just wasn't getting any better even after three days of antibiotics.  So me being me, I mentioned plantain tincture to him.  Everybody kinda smirked because this was when I was just starting my career as a Crazy Weed Lady and nobody had any faith... yet.  So I bring out the tincture and coerce my brother into putting some on a cotton ball.  My husband, ever the smart elec, taped the cotton ball on his leg with duct tape, which my brother understandably didn't appreciate.

It took him two days to get up the nerve to take the duct taped cotton ball off of his leg, and what he saw had him running back up to the house for more plantain tincture.  Because the cotton ball was full of icky yellow and brown drainage, and the spider bite was almost healed!  Made a believer out of him and several other family members, too.  In fact, a couple of them started making their own plantain concoctions soon thereafter.

Plantain is my go-to when I happen to get popped by grease when frying up a pan of bacon, or when one of the young people in the family are broke out in acne.  It was wonderfully soothing when my son-in-law's father got road rash trying to save a kid who shouldn't have been driving a go-cart.  It is also a favorite for splinters.

Plantain grows everywhere. If you happen to get a bug bite, bee sting or poison ivy, just pick you a leaf (from somewhere off the beaten path where car exhaust has not contaminated it), bruise the leaf up a bit (or chew it up) to expel the juices and place it on the bite/sting/rash.

I guarantee you'll be hooked on plantain just like me:)


***This blog is intended for encouragement and educational purposes only. It is not an attempt to diagnose or treat any condition or disease. As always, please check with your physician before trying any new medication, herbal or otherwise, or treating any disease process.***

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