Plantain Leaf Powder, 1/4 lb
Plantain is an ancient plant original to Europe but now widely distributed throughout most of the world. Although the herb has a very long history of use, many people consider it a nuisance plant when it shows up in their carefully manicured lawns. In fact, plantain is so prolific and persistent in spread that it’s referred to as a cosmopolitan weed, meaning it’s often found growing in roadside gravel or jutting out between rocks. While fresh plantain leaf is consumed as a bitter salad herb, the dried leaf is used to produce teas, tonics and infusions. Due to the presence of an astringent compound called aucubin, plantain is also used to make poultices as well as infused oils and tinctures for topical use.
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Plantain, often referred to as Greater Plantain and by a variety of other common names, is a broadleaf herb that has the distinction of being the most widely distributed and abundant foraging crops in the world.
According to John Abercrombie, Scottish horticulturist and botany professor at the University of Cambridge and co-author of Every Man His Own Gardener, first published in 1767, plantain leaf was among the most popular salad herbs enjoyed in his day. Today, the powdered leaf is often encapsulated as a dietary supplement, or used to make poultices, salves and other topical preparations.
