08/27/2022
*P L A N T A I N*
Yes!!
My daughter was eaten alive (Macedonian exaggeration) by bugs at camp last week. (They for some reason eat her, but not her twin sister. 🤔)
With the help of her camp counsellor, she went foraging for glorious plantain on the grounds, chewed it into a poultice and applied it to her welts for relief. 😅 I was so proud of her (and the camp), for using mother natures resources for pain relief.
👏🏼
When she came home, I made her a poultice with plantain oil, clay, lavender hydrosol, and a drop of peppermint essential oil. Her welts were down in no time, pain and itch gone. 💥
We keep it in a little glass vessel and apply as needed. It’s messy, but works. Leave out the clay (and peppermint!) if applying before bed.
Thank you, Mother Earth!
Plantain is one of those benevolent medicines that will come and grow in all the spaces in-between—amidst the sidewalk pavers, the gravel in your driveway, and the rows of calendula and kale in your garden.
This adaptability means that plantain is almost always around when you need it—which may be more often than you’d think. I’m not exaggerating when I say plantain is one of my most reached-for first aid remedies.
A poultice of the leaves quickly brings cooling, healing relief to rashes, burns, blisters, wounds, cuts, scrapes, splinters, and bites and stings from spiders, bees, and mosquitos.
Care to read more about identifying and using plantain? Take a peek at our blog post on The Medicine That Grows In-Between:
https://chestnutherbs.com/the-medicine-that-grows-in-between/
You can also check out our Online Herbal Immersion. It's ON SALE for 20% OFF through August 31st. It's THE most comprehensive online program in sustainable, community-based herbalism in the world. For details, including affordable payment plan options:
www.chestnutherbs.com/immersion
(Plantago spp.)
Photo © Juliet Blankespoor
*Please research any new herb and consult your health care providers for possible drug/herb contraindications and precautions before ingesting. Be sure of your identification before ingesting any plant or mushroom.
