Plantain - ID, Edible and Medicinal Uses, and More! Broadleaf and Narrowleaf Plantain
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Common Plantain or Broadleaf Plantain - Plantago major
Also sometimes called broad-leaved plantain
Narrowleaf Plantain or Ribwort Plantain - Plantago lanceolata
Also sometimes narrow-leaved plantain
Plantain is a plant that can easily be overlooked. It's not a very flashy looking plant, but it has a lot if edible and medicinal uses. Plantain is often found in disturbed soils and can be found throughout most of the world. Plantain doesn't have any bright or flashy flowers and grows low to the ground, so this might be part of why it's often overlooked.
Plantain, both common plantain and narrowleaf plantain, have qualities that include being cooling, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, astringent, anti-microbial, alterative, expectorant, and vulnerary. Broadleaf or common plantain and narrowleaf plantain can be used interchangeably.
Plantain Identification
Plantain is a perennial herb with a fibrous root system. The leaves grow low to the ground in a basal rosette with leaves that are elliptic to egg-shaped with prominent parallel veins. The edges of the leaves can be smooth or undulating/wavy and are 3 to 30 cm long. The flower spikes of plantain can be up to 60 cm long with small inconspicuous flowers. The seed capsules are brown when mature.
Edible Uses for Plantain
Plantain leaves are edible raw or cooked and are a good source of vitamins A, C, K, and potassium. The seeds can be dried and ground into a meal and used as a flour substitute.
Medicinal Uses for Plantain
The overall effect of plantain can be described as cooling and useful to counteract hot conditions like redness, swelling, and inflammation. Topically the leaves can be used to treat insect bites, stings, cuts, scrapes, burns, blisters, poison ivy, snake bites, stinging nettle and more. You can use the leaves as a spit poultice for emergency first aid.
The leaves of plantain contain allantoin which promotes healing skin and tannin which helps to draw tissues together.
Plantain leaf tea has been used to treat all kinds of respiratory ailments such as coughs, sore throats, bronchitis, and laryngitis. Plantain has also been used for gastrointestinal issues. Teas or tinctures have been used to relieve issues such as diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut, and for healing bleeding mucous membranes.
Plantain seeds, which are mucilaginous, have been used to help relieve constipation. If they are used, they should be used with a lot of water because they expand and absorb a lot of water.
*Caution - Although plantain is generally considered a safe plant to use, they draw heavy metals from the soil. Please be cautious about where you are harvesting plantain!
Please consume wild plants at your own risk! Consult multiple reliable sources before consuming any wild plants! This video is for information and entertainment only!
#plantain #wildfire #lungs #medicinal #foraging #inflammation #firstaid
References
De La Foret; Han, Emily. Wild Remedies: How to Froage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. Hay House, Inc. 2020.
Gray, Beverley. The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North. Aroma Borealis Press. 2011.
Kloos, Scott. Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press, Inc. 2017
MacKinnon, A. Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine Media Productions (BC) Ltd. 2014.
Walker, Sandra. The Path to Wild Food: Edible Plants & Recipes for Canada. Lone Pine Publishing. 2022.
Wiles, Briana. Mountain States Medicinal Plants. Timber Press Inc. 2018.
Young, Devon. The Backyard Herbal Apothecary: Effective Medicinal Remedies Using Commonly Found Herbs & Plants. Page Street Publishing. 2019. - Jak na to + styl
Plantain topped my list of six plants to use to make an emergency/spit poultice. It's a super useful plant for first aid out in the field. If you'd like to see the other plants that made my list, check out this video.
czcams.com/video/SD7knmILePI/video.htmlsi=m1oa1nn1KvqCOIJO
"I agree 100% with using it as insect bite remedy. I got stung on my eyelid, I picked a leaf, crushed it in my fingers and upt it on the sting for 10 minutes. Twenty minutes later, all redness was gone."
That's awesome!
I have wild strawberries, plantain, wild garlic, and dandelions growing in my yard. I love finding out my garden is bigger than I thought
Me too! Thanks!
This was one of the first herbs I learned about. It also is very effective at strengthening prostate health and healed my enlarged prostate. I gave it to a few other men that had prostate problems and it also healed theirs, with daily use between 2 weeks and 3 months depending on how long the issue has been a problem.
One other thing that is noteworthy and may pose a danger, is that plantain is a thickener of blood, so if someone is taking blood thinners plantain can counter the effects and can cause issues
Great info! Thank you!
I just used it last week as a spit poultice on my poison Ivy and it drastically took the burning and itching down and helped it stop oozing, I was really impressed!
Thank you I have literally in my small backyard. Found 12 healthy edible herbs, including black plantain. Why aren’t we foraging more in the US? Thanks for the information.
I have both kinds of plantain, dock , violets, dandelions and purple dead nettle. A veritable pharmacy in my back yard. Chicory and green Anne's lace in the front.
Very nice! I'm slowly expanding my yard pharmacy, too!
Queen Anne's lace seeds were used as a contraceptive by Pioneer women. That is why you find them all over. Chicory was used as a coffee substitute during the war
Thank you! Great information!
I'm sorry that I've never respected this helpful little guy
I didn't either until I learned about it. It's a good one though!
I saw one last week. I have never seen it in Southwestern Louisiana. I plant herbs, so it probably came in with my potting soil! So excited
Cool! Some showed up in my yard last year suddenly. I was stoked!
That's something because here in Southeast Louisiana I walk outside my door and find them pretty easy. Mostly broadleaf plantain.
@@JohnA-bear yeah, some places they almost completely cover the ground!
Plantain is such a great one for everyone to get familiar with! (And it’s many cousins)
I agree! Thank you!
I just ate some tonight cooked right in with my Swiss chard 😊
Nice! Sounds good!
Yes it was I need to eat more greens 🥬 ❤
Yeah, I do too!
Plantain was our cure all plant when we were growing up,I still use it whenever in need. Never thought about the metals though. Thank you for all the great info 🌱💚
You're welcome! Thank you, too!
My son keeps mowing all mine down! Made a great salve last year though out of comfrey, plantain, rosemary & spearmint! Works great on nerve & cramping pain in feet & legs!❤
Yes, lots of people don't want these around, but I'm happy to have them!
If you get cramps in your legs put a couple or 3 shakes of pure fine sea salt/himalayan salt in your mouth or a pinch of course salt. Let it dissolve in mouth. Try to get some under your tongue. If i get leg cramps when in bed( which is rarely), i get up and do the above. The cramps go away almost instantly. If they come back i just repeat taking the salt. Usually one go is enough. Max twice.
@@typower9 Don't have the Himalayan, but will try witn my sea salt. Thanks
I just subscribed and you upload a new video! What a coincidence lol. This young Okanagan forager appreciates the videos!
Excellent! Good timing. Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Fascinating! I'll keep an eye out for these plants. ❤
Thank you! Hopefully you find some. I think you will!
Just found you! Your videos are very helpful. New subscriber. Thank you
You're welcome! Thank you, too!
Glad your supervisor was keeping watch!
Me too! She kept me on task and made sure breaks were kept to the contractual time limits.
all good, thank you
OK! Thank you, too!
thank you I learnt so much from your tube
You're welcome! Thank you, too!
I really appreciate gaining some of your knowledge and I am grateful you are interested in sharing your experience
Thank you and you're welcome!
Thanks for the information. It's highly appreciated. I just knew about this plant less than six months ago. I never knew that broad leaf plantain offer so many health benefits. There is a Hugh one with a lot of spikes growing in my backyard. I place some stones around it so that the gardener won't cut it down whenever he is cutting the yard.Wish I could like this video several times😊👍👍👍❤❤❤ watching from Jamaica 🇯🇲
You're welcome and thank you, too! It really is a great plant!
Luv plantain! The seeds are also what they make psyllium husk out of.
Yes, they are very useful. Thank you!
Saw you use this first hand on your son and was amazed by the results! You also used some on my daughters scratches and saved us a lot of complaining! What a great plant!
Yeah, it worked great! Such a useful plant! Thank you!
I like taking the planain seed stalks, plling the seeds off and chewing it. Feels kinda like flax seed oily, slight nutty taste. kinda fun.
Yeah, I see that for sure! Thanks!
Where's new videos.??? I just subscribed. Love your style! Very informative! Just made stinging nettle enchiladas! I'm in north idaho where everything grows!
I love sautéed stinging nettle. Enchiladas sound 😋 yummy.
I finally managed to make one. Thank you for your encouragement! North Idaho looks really beautiful.
I didn't know that those were good at all. Have a yard full of random wild plants 😅. Wealth of knowledge, appreciated 🤝
Do have those growing around here, thanks brother 🤝 sharing with my son 👍
You're welcome! Thank you, too!
Works great for wasper sting pain was gone almost instantly no swelling.....not so much for yellow jackets but did help with swelling
Yes, I've found it to be very effective. Thanks!
I immediately used it on a yellow jacket sting and within seconds no pain, no redness or swelling.
i believe goats love plantain...blessings to all
Good to know! Thanks!
I got a mosquito bite while on a walk, there was plantain nearby I made a poultice and the next morning it was as if it never happened I was amazed
It can work so quickly! Thanks!
I miss you! I hope all is well with you and yours ❣
Thank you! I think you saw the new video. Thank you for your encouragement!
Are all plantains edible?
I had some handfuls of plantain seeds that had wintered on the plants for one year... and I would swear I got a high, similar to the poppy seeds. Has anyone else experienced similar from plantains seeds? Could it have been bugs/eggs I ate? The ones I planted in my garden didn't seem to do that, nor the recently harvested ones.... Curious in Sask.
Very interesting! I have not experienced this myself. Maybe some other people have?
Did you chew them?
Did you chew them?
Make a tea?
@ccccclark2605 yes! I gathered them from the plants in the field, they were from the previous summer harvest, and chewed and swallowed them directly, a small handful, as from 2 average plants, for approximate amount.
What do you suggest?
I replied to your other comment with prickly lettuce as one option for pain relief. I've also had some success with relieving joint pain using burdock. This video has some info about burdock if you're interested.
czcams.com/video/IGKOfYS466M/video.htmlsi=oxYrMjyGbzrQ1bYl
Can you sprout the seeds and eat the sprouts?
I haven't tried it myself, but I don't see why not. It's worth a try I think!
I wonder if it would be good for athletes foot or copd?
As far as I understand it, I think athletes foot is a fungal situation, and I don't think plantain is typically used as an anti-fungal, so I'm not sure it would be particularly useful for that.
I can't say from personal experience, but I have seen several people saying mullein helped them with their COPD. This video has info about uses for mullein and shows a few easy ways to use it.
czcams.com/video/nxQdjv4Oegc/video.htmlsi=SADExWiO2cA1OxzQ
Thank you for the reply, blessings.@@OkanaganGardenerandForager
@@amamamia4391 you're welcome! Thanks for watching!
apple cider vinegar.
What about for pain? Us baby boomers need that.
Wild lettuce is one of the best natural painkillers
Good question! I think pain is a complicated topic and finding the source of the pain is important. One plant that a lot of people like to use for pain is prickly/wild lettuce - Lactuca serriola. This video is about prickly lettuce with a lot of emphasis on identifying and also description of some uses for it. That might be a good place to start.
czcams.com/video/6D6B7TLtoYU/video.htmlsi=YCO1TlglbzxY55R6
@lookoutmountaingarockhunte1300 yes, thank you!
@@OkanaganGardenerandForager kratom. best plant for pain!
@@OkanaganGardenerandForager kratom. best plant for pain!
Dude! Time to come out of hibernation....
Thank you for the encouragement! I finally managed to make a new video. I hope to be able to make some more soon.