This article is about what is known as Plantain Weed not the fruit that looks similar to banana.
Plantain grows almost anywhere in North America and over much of Europe. Many people consider it to be an invasive weed in need of being control. But, it is a great plant to have growing nearby in the event of a zombie invasion. You can eat it and it provides some medicinal benefits that most everyone needs at some point.
Plantago lanceolate flowers. Image source Pixabay
Two Main Types of Plantain
Plantago major is a Broad-leafed variety. It grows low to the ground, has egg shaped leaves and long narrow flower spikes.
Plantago lanceolate has long lance shaped leaves. Its flowers grow on long thin stalks and are bullet shaped. Leaves average 3 to 10 inches long and are usually 1 inch wide or less.
Both have thick but short tap roots and their leaves grow in a rosette. The leaves are deep veined and both varieties can tolerate both wet and dry conditions and prefers full sun, but can tolerate mild shade. They can produce up to 1400 seeds per plant so it spreads quickly. The nutritional profiles is similar to dandelion.
Plantago major leaves – image source pixabay
Plantago major flower and seed stems – image source pixabay
Both varieties are best eaten when the leaves are young. Pan fry and season them like you would any variety of greens. The older leaves become, the more bitter they become.
The seed heads of both varieties are edible. Broad-leafed has a long thin spike, covered with seeds. You can sauté them in olive oil, place the stem in your mouth, close your teeth around it and pull the stem out, leaving the seeds inside. The thin leafed variety is much harder to get the seeds out and is probably not worth the effort.
Medicinal Properties of Plantain
NOTE: Most herbalist prefer the broad-leafed variety. The leaves are softer and most people feel they taste better. Both have similar medicinal properties and would work just fine in a zombie invasion.
- Leaves can be used fresh or dried
- Contains high amounts of calcium, iron and vitamins A, C, and K.
- Crush the leaves and apply to wounds, bites, burns and scrapes. They can be held in place by a bandage or wrap.
- Treats mouth inflammations
- Throat infections
- Earache
- Dropsy
- Asthma
- Epilepsy
- Stop wounds from bleeding
- Speeds up healing
- Stops itching
- Decreases pain
- treat eczema and psoriasis
- disinfects injuries
- Kills pathogenic organisms
- Helps stop diarrhea
- Helps heal gastritis and colitis
- Restores acid balance in the stomach
- Useful for urinary tract infections
- Laxative
- Reduces mucus in the airway
- Helps with sinusitis
- Helps with Hay Fever
- Helps with tonsillitis
- Eases coughing
- Can be made into a tea to get much the same benefits as fresh
- Soak equal parts of finely chopped fresh leaves and high-quality oil (sunflower, safflower) for a few weeks and use it like a cough syrup.
- Makes good tinctures and salves to be used when fresh is not available.
- Make a strong tea to use for mouth sores, apply to scalp for dandruff and other scalp problems
- Apply a fresh poultice to sores from poison ivy/oak/sumac
NOTE: If you take blood thinners for any reason, do not take Plantain internally. Plantain helps blood coagulate quicker, which would counteract any reason you would be taking a blood thinner for.