Recently, I began to notice that the cats (we have 7), when returning home from their adventures abroad, would be covered with little white specs, almost like styrofoam, but clearly something natural. I discovered shortly thereafter, while walking down to our apple orchard, that the same thing happend to my pants legs. Turns out, it’s plantain flower petals (Plantago lanceolata, or Narrow-Leaf Plantain, or Buckhorn Plantain) coming off on fur and clothes.
Here’s a picture of Yeshi watching the sprinklers run in the orchard. Can you see the tiny plantain petal stuck to one of his whiskers?
Yeshi With Plantain Petal
I’ve read that plantain poultice can be good for bee stings. Anyone out there actually tried that? I’ve also seen mention of its use in treating brown recluse bites. Here is an interesting statement from an article by Robin Rose Bennett, author of Healing Magic: A Green Witch Guidebook to Conscious Living: ”Plantain shares many gifts in common with violet leaves, and I do alternate them in my own herbal mouth care. Plantain, like violet, is a powerful drawing herb and is even more specific for localizing any poison in the body, not allowing it to overwhelm the lymphatic immune system. It’s also anti-inflammatory, mucilaginous, mineral-rich, tonic to the kidneys, cooling, anti-infective, wound healing and pain relieving…” Might be something worth investigating for one’s self. Another resource on Plantain uses.
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