Grandma Called it Medicine Leaf – Plantain Weed Remedies
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
Plantain weed is good medicine, from seed to root. In this article, I’ll share how I came to know plantain, and how to use the fresh leaves and dried leaves for natural remedies such as salve and tea.
Table of Contents
Plantain Weed – Grandma’s “Medicine Leaf”
When I was a little girl, my father’s mother, Catherine, and I were very close. Mom was awfully busy trying to raise six kids and run a farm by herself, so I spent a lot of time with grandma (I’m the baby of the family).
Grandma had ever-bearing strawberries that she would pick as soon as they showed a blush of red, so the birds didn’t get them. There were always hollyhocks and poppies, the yellow transparent apple tree, lilacs, roses and a small vegetable garden.
Grandma and I would dance and sing on the front lawn, and every Saturday night we had a “date” watching HeeHaw.
I remember grandma pointing to a broad leaf plant in the yard and calling it “medicine leaf”. She told me the Native Americans use to use it for medicine, but we never used it ourselves.
A New Look at Old Medicine
Fast forward about 30 years. I started hanging out with the grandmother of some boys in our local homeschool group, and she showed me how to use plantain leaf to make an infused oil.
It turns out grandma’s “weed” was actually broadleaf plantain (Plantago major), and it’s close to miraculous for treating bug bites, stings and many other ailments.
Using plantain weed opened the door to my curiosity about the use of many common weeds. It truly changed my life, and that’s why I chose it for the logo of the website.
Now I look at wild plants with fresh eyes. (Many of them were carefully carried by settlers as food and medicine.) It’s a great feeling to know that I can find simple remedies almost anywhere.
I’m not the only one taking notice of plantain. The 2018 study “Plantago major in Traditional Persian Medicine and modern phytotherapy” looks at a wide range of medicinal uses of plantain, including treatment of:
- epilepsy
- eye disease
- toothaches and other oral health problems
- earaches
- pulmonary disorders
- gastrointestinal trouble
- liver disease
- urinary tract issues
- skin diseases
Note: For more detailed information on how to to identify plantain and food uses of plantain, see “Broadleaf Plantain – The “Weed” You Won’t Want to Be Without – Weekly Weeder #14“.
How to Use Fresh Plantain Leaf to Treat Insect Bites, Stings and Other Skin Irritation
The first time I put plantain weed to the test was for treating a wasp sting.
I was at my Great Uncle’s house scrubbing egg off a plate with a metal scouring pad, when “the pad” stabbed me. I set the scrubber down and out crawls a large black wasp. (Bill told me after the fact that, “Oh yes, he had seen some of those around.” I guess it didn’t like being used to scrub plates.
My finger started swelling and burning. I ran cold water on the sting, and yelled for my son to run outside and grab some plantain. He came back in a matter of minutes with a nice, healthy leaf, and into my mouth it goes. Chew, chew, chew – spit it out – onto the bite.
The worst of the pain subsided within minutes. I wrapped the green blob onto my finger with a band-aid and left it there for the rest of the afternoon and evening. (Plantain tastes very green, in case you’re wondering.)
Here’s what the sting looked like at the end of the day:
Note: insect damage is very clear, but there is no sign of inflammation or swelling (no welt). There was no pain at all the following day. The last time I was stung, the welt lasted for several days. This was so much better.
To use Plantain Leaves for Bites and Stings
- Find a clean leaf
- Chew or otherwise mash it to release juices
- Apply to affected area until pain/itching subsides
A plantain poultice also helps to heal cuts and incisions.
Plantain Weed for Slivers
Plantain has a natural drawing and anti-inflammatory action. This helps to reduce swelling, but it also helps to draw out slivers.
Simply crush or chew your plantain leaf, place it over the area with the sliver, bandage and leave overnight. In the morning the sliver should easily pop out.
You can use fresh plantain juice to treat poison ivy, sunburn and other skin irritations, but infused oil or salve is easier to apply.
I visited my brother recently and he had some enormous plantain weed leaves. (My brother now lives in grandma’s old house.) Some of the leaves were nearly the size of a sheet of paper. Here’s one of them next to a quart Mason jar for comparison.
How to Make Plantain Infused Oil
Gather Plantain Leaves
First, gather up a bunch of plantain leaves. Minor damage is fine, but avoid mold or other signs of spoilage. Pick enough leaves to fill your container of choice. (Small jars work well.)
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Wash and Prep Leaves
Wash the leaves and dry thoroughly. (I run mine through the salad spinner and pat dry with a towel.) You want these as dry as possible to help prevent mold in your infusion.
Finely chop the leaves and pack them into your jar until full. Cover leaves with olive oil or fractionated coconut oil. Poke/stir with a chopstick or other implement to remove air bubbles. Place lid on jar, label and date.
Infuse the Oil
I keep the jar in a sunny window for at least two weeks (usually four to six weeks), stirring daily to make sure the leaves stay below the oil. After several days it will start to smell like pepperoni – this is normal.
Sunlight exposure during this stage helps to prevent mold, but you don’t want the oil to get extremely hot.
Decant and Pack for Storage
Decant the oil (strain out the plant material) in four to six weeks. I use my jelly bag strainer. The oil is now ready to use.
For longer storage, allow the decanted oil to settle for a few days, then bottle the finished oil in dark jars. You may get sediment or water in the bottom as the oil settles – try to keep this out of your finished product by pouring off the oil carefully.
Seal the bottles, label, and store in a cool, dry, dark place.
Using Plantain Infused Oil
My first test of plantain oil came after an evening in the garden with a voracious cloud of mosquitoes. I rubbed catnip on my exposed skin, but they bit right through my shorts!
I must have had at least 20 bites on my tush. Oh man, did it itch! I took a quick shower and coated all my bites with some plantain oil. Again, within a matter of minutes, the pain and itching subsided.
Simple Plantain Weed Salve
Plantain infused oil is great for covering larger areas, but plantain salve is nice for spot treating bites, stings or hemorrhoids.
Use 1 tablespoon of finely chopped beeswax for every ounce of plantain infused oil. Stir the oil and wax together over low heat until the oil is melted.
For more details, see “How to Make a Salve with Infused Oils“.
Plantain Leaf Tea
For internal use, try plantain leaf herbal tea.
Place one heaping teaspoon of crumbled dried leaves or one to two fresh leaves in a mug. Cover with boiling water and infuse for ten minutes. Strain and drink, adding a little honey for sweetness, if desired.
Drink a mug of plantain tea three times per day to help clear out colds and soothe digestion.
Plantain Juice with Honey
This plantain weed remedy is recommended in Backyard Medicine for coughs and stomach ulcers. It can also be used externally for ulcers and other sores. (Honey also has a long history of medicinal use.)
Juice fresh plantain leaves and mix the juice with an equal amount of honey. Pour into sterilized bottles and keep in a cool location.
Dose: 1 teaspoon as needed for coughs, 1 tablespoon three times daily for stomach ulcers.
Note: Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata) works best for juicing, but any plantain variety has similar medicinal properties.
Dig deeper into the wonders of plantain in The Wild Apothecary series – volume 1.
Get Plantain Products and Seeds Online
Want someone else to prep the oil for you, or don’t have plantain readily available?
You can get plantain infused oil, plantain seeds, dried plantain leaf, powdered plantain, plantain extract, and plantain infused lip balm.
Have you used plantain? Do you have a favorite recipe or tip to share? I’d love to hear from you.
You may also enjoy:
- 15 Ways to Naturally Reduce Cholesterol
- Easy Homemade Cough Drops for Treatment of Sore Throats and Coughs
- Natural Remedies for Colds and Flu to Help You Feel Better Faster
Originally posted in 2010, updated in 2019.
Where can I find information about using Plantain to help with emphysema, and similar problems? Can it be put in a tincture and used that way?
Alternative Nature online herbal suggests one tablespoon of chopped plantain steeped in water for 10 minutes and strained, consumed throughout the day.
My grandmother used to call it hog ear, sow ear. She would feed it to ducks, geese, rabbit, chickens. Now, I’m really learning the value of coming back to nature. Thanks. 🙂
I could see the ear shape name connection. It makes me happy to see people putting these plants to use again. Our internet installer got stung last week working on the roof. I bandaged him up with fresh plantain and it took the swelling right down. He couldn’t even find the sting to show me a couple days later. (He forgot his drill and had to stop back in.)
Hi all from Germany .I was amazed by this.I know this weed and my mom ripped off a leave and told me that the white end bits what hang out are the numbers off kids I ll get.I tried and of course with different results each time.I played this with my mates aswell.Mom also told me that when you have ulcers or sore skin to put those leafs on it. But you forget later in life and I have never used those leafs yet.
Thanks for sharing your stories. Time to start using them. 😉
Very interesting article. I have 2 questions for you. First, is this used in any way to prevent or cure migraines? These are a major problem for me. Second, could you explain how this is used to quit smoking? I have tried numerous methods, including hypnotism, with no luck. I would love t give this a try.
Thank you!
On the smoking – not something I’ve personally had experience with, but the article “Best Herbs to Stop Smoking” says:
For the migraines, you may want to check out the post “Home Remedies for Headaches“, which in addition to remedies includes a list of lifestyle triggers that may contribute to migraine onset. I’m not familiar with the use of Plantago major as a migraine treatment.
My mother called it Bubka leaves. I have no idea why. We are Polish. She had us pick it in our yard for a number of things. Boils, slivers, stings. Then we grew up and forgot all about it. Well, I will be looking for some now, but it’s not in my yard. It’s in the park by mom’s old house. Bubka?
My grandma was Polish, too, but she never spoke much Polish. Google translate has nothing on bubka. Glad that you rediscovered an old friend.
I’ve used a combination of chickweed and plantain (equal parts) infused in olive oil and made into a salve for many years. It is great to stop any itchy rash especially diaper rash, and I’ve recently discovered it not only stops the itch of my eczema, but also helps it heal.
My story is about using this ‘weed’ on poison ivy affecting both eyes. (Btw, in my area this plant is called pig’s ear, haha) The poison ivy inflamed my skin all around my eyes & made me miserable. Went to ER & even the nurse was taken aback when she saw me, asking if it was a bee sting. Of course prednisone was prescribed, but after 1 1/2 days there was no relief but a rash developing on my abdomen. Naturally, i tossed them & went to plan B. I remembered hearing this weed could relieve the poison ivy rash/itching. We are rural so I went hunting for nice sized leaves that were whole, etc. Wouldn’t you know it, seemed a lot of them were growing along side poison ivy! So I was very careful to get only ones that were free & clear. Came home & rinsed each leaf, turned it over & ran a knife handle over the veins to get a juice flowing & slapped them on each eye. (My kids thought I had lost it!) I laid down with them & when they felt limp I took a new leaf & repeated. Within maybe 2 hrs I decided it was time to check what my eyes looked like. I had great green racoon eyes but the swelling was down quite a bit. I continued a little longer. Washed around my eyes well. Plantain has astringent qualities, so my skin around my eyes was rather dry but I felt terrific!
That’s awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. My psoriasis has flared up, and while the salve was helping, it was only taking the edge off. With the stories others have shared lately, I decided to try using whole leaves packed on the skin overnight, and it seems to be making a difference. I have patches on both elbows and on my face, so I started with the elbows because it was easier to get the leaves to stay put. Now I want to figure out a way to either get more concentrated salve or get the leaves to stay on my face without too much discomfort.
i use this leaf to wash my eyes , after a tarantula spider fell on my face,,,my grandmother put two leaves in a bowl,,,pour hot water over them ,,let it sit overnight ,next morning i wash my eyes with using the leaf,,,wash the good eye first with one leaf ,then the other,,,i did this for about 2wks or less ,it did what the medication didn’t do””heal my eyes.
So thankful that it worked for you. Amazing. Smart grandma.
Hey Laurie and all other readers…my 87 year old mother has had an very large ulcer on her lower leg for over 10 months now. She has, in her lower extremities(legs), compromised blood flow. She has had emergency surgery (when I first found the wound/ulcer that she had let go for months, it was very infected and was causing her blood poisoning), and twice weekly doctor appointments for this whole ten months with no healing and if fact it has gotten worse. About one week ago I read about the plantain weed and we gave it a try. I would pick the leaves in the early morning, rinse, dry, chop ubber finely, press this with the back of a spoon to release the juices and then apply immediately to my mothers leg ulcer. Well wouldn’t you know it…it’s healing!!! We have new skin granulation as well as size reduction and new un-infected skin growth from the edges. One ulcer has almost within one week gone from a size of a fifty cent piece down to the size of a tiny pencil eraser. All of these ulcers were open and draining(ick), they since have stopped draining almost entirely and are now healing from the inside out, which is what the doctors want to see. The doctors were so happy to see healing…and so were we. This is an amazing “weed”. I just read that it stops tooth aches. I have had a killer tooth ache for months now from a new crown. Dentist says that I have no edges and that my tooth’s nerves are inflamed and I must wait for this to calm down. Meanwhile life is unbearable without pain killers every day. Tonight, and all week, I’m trying the plantain weed cure. I will let you know how it works.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, and I’m very thankful to hear that it’s helping your mom. Skin problems can be very, very stubborn. Hoping that it helps with your toothache, too.
This post came in really handy. After reading it, I walked out into my yard and found two plantains growing in the yard next to the corner of the house, picked two fair-sized leaves, minced them up, mixed and mashed them up with a small amount of olive oil, them applied it to a suspected spider bite on my leg that was itching me to death. Worked like a charm. Itching subsided to nothing. Thanks for the information! I’m sure it will come in handy again in the future…
You’re welcome! So glad you were able to quickly find some and that it helped.
Does this grow in fla also if it grows in ny mass and pa..I would love to try
It grows throughout the US and Canada. There’s more detailed identification information here: https://commonsensehome.com/weekly-weeder-14-common-plantain/
Is plantain leaf also called Burdock? Not sure what I’m looking for. Would love to find some. We have “poke weed” growing right outside our door that hubby picks when he gets poison ivy.
There’s more detailed identification information here: https://commonsensehome.com/weekly-weeder-14-common-plantain/ Plantain is very different from burdock. While they both form a basal rosette in their first year, plantain tends to be much smaller. Plantain leaves are smooth, green and glossy, and oblong in shape. Burdock leaves are triangular, have a lighter underside, and leave a bitter coating on your hands when touched.
Interested in using medicine leaf to stop smoking! I have it growing here anyhow and really need something that makes me quit! Do you know how to consume it for this purpose?
From the permies.com forums: (http://www.permies.com/t/22063/medicinal-herbs/quit-smoking)
Anyone ever try using the oil, salve or muddled leaves on Shingles? What would be your second choice for oil to use if not Olive Oil. Finances are an issue and Olive oil can be costly. Thanks. Love your webpage. 🙂
Olive oil is really the only liquid oil I trust to stay shelf stable at room temp, other than fractionated coconut oil, which is even more expensive. I don’t use most liquid oils because they become rancid quickly, or are already rancid and/or genetically modified. Seed and nut based oils require the least processing, but most are not shelf stable and are more expensive than olive oil. Good quality lard could be used as a base if you infused it with heat. Could you possibly barter with a friend for just a cup of olive oil? A smaller batch works just fine. No need to buy a large amount of oil.
I have eat plantin all my life.I cook it just like mustard greens.It is really good,i love the flavor of it.Does it really cause liver damage?I live in Kentucky where,it grows every where.
I’ve never heard of plantain causing liver damage. The comment mentioning liver damage was about comfrey, not plantain.
Can it be, that the plant looks different leaf-wise in a different part of the world, in Romania? The variation is still good for all the descriptions/afflictions given?
Narrow leaf plantain has (as one would expect) a much narrower leaf, but similar medicinal properties.
how do u use it on hemorrhoids
You could mash the leaf and apply it directly as a poultice, tucking it into place for a short period of time when you are less active (like a bedtime) and removing in the morning and showering. To make it easier to apply, I’d infuse it into an oil, make the oil into a salve, and then apply the salve.
Nice to know and learned more about the importance of plantain in our environment and it’s medicinal wonders.still one of my favourites.grows it in my plantation,considering make the oil commercial. but will all species be good because down here(west Africa),we have much of”must paradisiaca”.still want to know it’s effective on peptic and duodenal ulcer.thank you.
There’s a study “Evaluation of the Antipeptic Ulcer Activity of the Leaf Extract of Plantago lanceolata L. in Rodents” that demonstrates the effectiveness of a leaf extract, and it’s listed in the medical dictionary under ulcer treatments.
I used it on my sons boils years ago – and it really helped – I just put the leaf on top of the boil and put gauze over the top…………..I did not know of all the other useful things………….
It’s still one of my favorite wild plants.
I discovered how powerful this stuff was when I slashed my hand deeply on a very aggressive Blackberry bush. I’d read about using it as a poultice, but had no idea what would happen. I grabbed a leaf, chewed and spat it out on the cuts.(Nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh?) Immediately the pain went! I left it on there for a few minutes, held in place with another plantain leaf, and when I took it off to have a look, all I saw was a series of white lines! We’re talking 10 minutes here! The edges of the cuts had already began to seal shut again! WOAH!!!
I showed the plant and the result to all the kids I was with so the’d know about it for future reference too. A while later I met a farmer who had a nasty gash on his arm. Found a couple of leaves and showed him how to do it. He was sure I was nuts, but after a bit of good natured bullying from me, he tried it. Same result, much deeper wound. His eyebrows nearly met his hairline in amazement!
This all happened while my family was living in Albania. Broad leafed Plantain is a very wide spread plant!
Thanks for sharing your story. Plantain is usually the first wild medicinal plant I introduce people to, because it’s widespread, easy to identify, and as you’ve seen, it works fast!