Learning about Mother Nature’s edible and healing plants is a critical component of living a sustainable, self-sufficient, and prepared lifestyle.
Broadleaf Plantain, commonly pronounced plan-tin, is a “common” weed that most folks recognize. You likely see it in your lawn, but chances are you don’t know its name. However, there is nothing common about Broadleaf Plantain, a perennial leafy, low-growing plant in the Plantaginaceae family.
车前草因其令人难以置信的营养和药用特性而闻名于世,4000多年前,车前草是欧洲人饮食中的主要成分。
这种可食用的药草可以在路边的沟渠、草地、牧场、葡萄园和果园中找到。令家庭园丁持续沮丧的是,这种顽强的杂草也在草坪、花坛和家庭花园中繁茂生长。
Broadleaf Plantain thrives in all United States Plant Hardiness Zones, but especially in moist, sunny, well-drained soil. The tiny plant typically flowers April through September.
Plantain Weed Description
Broadleaf Plantain presents dark green, oval shaped leaves that grow in a tight rosette. The sturdy leaves exhibit thick, short stems that meet at the base.
When the stems are broken, they reveal tough, string-like veins that resemble those found in a stalk of celery. Long-pointed, lime green, tiny flowers grow from the base. The petite flowers produce a small pod containing dark brown seeds.
阔叶大蕉几乎完全靠种子繁殖。然而,植物有时会从折断的叶子或切断的根冠中再生。一株健康的植物每年产生超过15000颗种子。潮湿时,小种子会粘在野生动物身上,或者通过鸟类和风传播。
Plantain seeds retain viability in the soil for more than 65 years. Needless to say, this is a persistent plant that is here to stay.
Plantain Weed Varieties
There are two kinds of plantain: the larger Greater (or Broadleaf) Plantain and the smaller leafed Ribwort Plantain.
While often discounted as an invasive “ditch weed,” both varieties of plantain offer impressive nutritional value and amazing medicinal benefits.
Plantain Weed Cultivation And Harvest
Easy to cultivate, Broadleaf Plantain thrives in any soil, preferring a sunny, moist location. The tenacious plant is an important source of food for caterpillars and a diverse array of butterfly species.
You should harvest tender edible leaves in early spring. Later in the season, gather the flower spikes to dry for winter herb use.
If you are fortunate enough to have Broadleaf Plantain established in your homestead landscape, you may want to stop considering it as a weed.
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Why go through all the work to try and dig it up or eradicate it with noxious chemical herbicides, when you can harvest the tasty little edible plant for its nutritional and medicinal properties?
Wild Harvesting
Broadleaf Plantain can be cultivated in the home herb garden, or easily found on a spring or summer walk in the countryside. Always choose to harvest in locations away from the road where the area may have been sprayed with toxic pesticides or herbicides.
聚集在阔叶车前草植物生长在潮湿的地方,半遮荫的地区是最好的。这些植物将是最高的水分含量和充满营养和愈合性质。
Healing Properties Of Plantain Weeds
Due to its exceptionally high content of vitamin C, the plant is considered one of the strongest antioxidant herbs available. This plant was a traditional remedy for scurvy and immunity boosting spring tonic.
The entire plant offers expectorant, anodyne, astringent, antiseptic, and sedative qualities.
大蕉是膳食纤维的良好来源,含有七种类黄酮和维生素a、B1、B2、B3、C和k。大蕉也是钙、铁、铬、磷、镁、锰、钾、锌和硒的良好膳食来源。对一种普通的大麻来说,很厉害吧?
Medical research confirms that Broadleaf Plantain is a useful alternative medicine for bladder infections, bronchitis, high fevers, hypertension, asthma, emphysema, and blood sugar irregularities.
In general, the leaves, flowers, seed pods, and seeds are packed with essential nutrients that are safe to ingest raw or cooked.
Adding Plantains To Your Diet
The young leaves of the Broadleaf Plantain are more nutritious than any other green, given that they have more beta-carotene than carrots and more iron and calcium than spinach.
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Speaking of spinach, the leaves present a taste similar to the green. When harvesting, select tender, young leaves. Older leaf stalks contain fibrous strings that should be removed before use.
Medical research confirms that Broadleaf Plantain is a useful alternative medicine for bladder infections, bronchitis, high fevers, hypertension, asthma, emphysema, and blood sugar irregularities.
Use Of Plantain Seeds
Although older leaves are good sources of nutritional and healing properties, the taste tends to be bitter.
Dried seeds can be ground into a nutritious flour to add to bread and to use as a thickening agent in soups and stews.
Flavor Additive
Dried seeds are frequently used as a “peppery” seasoning agent, sprinkled on salads or added to baked goods
切碎的新鲜叶子可以加入汤、沙拉和萨尔萨酱中,味道鲜美。一种美味的添加到广泛的菜肴,准备阔叶大蕉,因为你会菠菜。
In fact, Broadleaf Plantain serves as a delightful substitute for spinach in almost any recipe.
Enhanced Water
为了提高大米、土豆或面食的风味和营养价值,大蕉的叶子和茎可以在沸水中焯水。用来焯水的水可以用来准备土豆、大米或意大利面。
Herbal Tea
Rich in calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium, Broadleaf Plantain leaves are useful when brewed as a tea to combat nausea. This characteristic makes it one of the best herbs for pregnant women to relieve morning sickness, strengthen uterine muscles before labor, and to slow heavy menstrual flows or afterbirth bleeding.
The powerful plant, when ingested as a tea, is currently found useful to quit smoking. It is also added as a main ingredient in many natural “stop-smoking” formulations.
Dried leaves, flowers, and seeds make an excellent, healing herbal tea. At first taste, plantain tea may taste bitter, but is quite palatable when infused with a slice of fresh lemon and a bit of organic honey to taste.
European And Native American Uses
移民到“新世界”的欧洲人携带了他们认为既可食用又可药用的植物的种子,包括大蕉。
这种耐寒的白色开花植物长得很茂盛。大蕉通过野生动物和风的种子传播,直到开花的白色草地覆盖北美的许多地区。
Additionally, Native Americans carried the powdered root of Broadleaf Plantain as a remedy for snakebites. Plantain has been used as a panacea in many Native American cultures. The plant is valued for its antibacterial, antiscorbutic, antitoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Use In Traditional Chinese Medicine
This vital edible plant has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy for a host of ailments including digestive disorders, flatulence, chronic diarrhea, mouth and stomach ulcers, and dental caries and gingivitis.
The leaves can be chewed, crushed, chopped, or shredded and are a traditional treatment for a diverse array of medical issues. These medical issues include preventing infection from wounds or animal and insect bites.
Application Of Plantains
A poultice can be made from the mashed leaves of a plantain, and then applied directly to a wound to prevent infection and aid healing.
A poultice of the raw leaves can also be applied to the skin to extract poisonous snake venom.
A drawing poultice of crushed flowers or the whole plant can be applied to cuts, burns, sores, scrapes, ulcers,bruises, swellings, and painful rheumatic joints.
References
- Broadleaf Plantain,University Of California Agriculture And Natural Resources
- Plantains,UC Davis from the University Of California Agriculture And Natural Resources
- Broadleaf Plantain,Specialty Produce
- Homemade Healing Salve,Mommypotamus
Alexander Saas Sr.says
Wow! So much great information! I don’t recall see any plantain since moving south to N.C., but we certainly had more than our share back in Long Island, N.Y. (where I grew up). Should the SHTF, this could be life saving data. I will try to share, don’t know if sharing was provided in the article. Will need to look. Thank you.
BARBARA SCOTTsays
THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION, I HAVE PULLED THESE UP FOR YEARS. NOW I AM GOING TO ADD THEM TO MY DIET.