We were walking through a campground up by Nederland, Colo. where the canopy of pine trees is sparse and sunshine can reach the ground. I kept taking notice of a little tender leaf plant that grew in parallel rosettes close to the ground. It’s shape and look somewhat reminded me of spinach.
“Look at that cute little plant,” I said to my companion. “For
some reason I want to eat it!”
“Don’t you dare.” He said with a poignant air of caution. “You
have to research it first, many people have died eating wild plants.”
“Okay…okay,” I submitted. “It looks like spinach, I wonder
what it is and what it is useful for.”
We continued on our walk, dodging hills of red ants and
small trenches in our path. I was determined to learn what this little plant
was that seemed to be calling my attention to it.
When I returned home I leafed through the pages of several
herb books until I came across a drawing of what looked to be the plant I had
wanted to nibble on.
I came to learn that the plant’s name is Plantain. Many
consider it to be a weed. Its’ presence began to spread across America as
Europeans migrated and it as such it came to also be called “White Man’s Footstep”
by American Indians. It can be characterized by its ribbed, ovate leaf and its
spiked stalk with purplish-green blossoms.
The roots, leaves, and the seeds all have an herbal use.
Indians came to use the leaves in poultices for wounds, cuts
and bruises, as well as a treatment of stings and bites of snakes, spiders, and
insects. Among other healing properties it is also administered as a tea for
kidney ailments, and in tincture form for scraping, irritated coughs.
I found it to be interesting that the plant grew in the same
environment that we saw the hills of red ants. It has often been said by many
of my herbal teachers that there is always a remedy within reach of anything
poisonous.
Not more than two weeks later I awoke from sleeping to
discover I had three spider bites on my body all larger than the size of golf
balls. I presumed I must have rolled onto the creature in my sleep because I
had one softball size bite on my belly above my right hip; one bite just above
my elbow on my right arm, swelling beyond the circumference of my joint; and
another golf ball size bite on my left hip. They were all red to purple in coloring,
itched like crazy, and seemed to be getting more inflamed. I considered going
to the emergency room, but recalled a visit in years prior that I had made due
to a bad spider bite which resulted in little to no assistance despite the
attached bill. I then recalled the plant I had learned of just a few weeks
prior, and went to the local apothecary with the intention to purchase
Plantain.
When I returned home I immediately placed the dry herb into the top portion of a double-broiling pot and soaked it with unrefined olive oil, I let it soak over low heat for several hours until the color noticeably changed. I lightly rubbed some of this oil onto my inflamed skin and noticed a remarkable reduction in itchiness within moments. I then strained the plant material out, and turned this macerated oil into a salve by incorporating beeswax and essential oils. This was the first salve I was inspired to create in 2006.
This salve has since been made available and sold
as my Bites & Stings Salve to friends and family, it will soon to be
available through my store EsentaBotanicals on Etsy.com
Information on Plantain referenced above was gathered from
the following sources:
Green, James. The Herbal medicine-maker’s handbook: A Home
Manual. Crossing Press: Toronto, 2002.
The Rodale Herb Book: How to use, grow, and buy nature’s
miracle plants. Rodale Press Book Division: Pennsylvania, 1974.
