The Backyard Weed That Heals Wounds and Soothes the Gut

Somewhere, lurking in your yard, is a plant that can soothe a stomach ulcer, heal a cut or scrape, draw out toxins, and bring a splinter to the surface of the skin. You’ve likely seen it many times, perhaps never knowing it was a formidable healer.

That plant is plantain—not the banana-like fruit—but Plantago major, the flat-leafed rosette that pushes up through sidewalk cracks, lawn edges, and garden borders. While some see it as a bothersome weed, plantain has a long history of healing. Ancient Persian physicians prescribed it; the philosopher Avicenna wrote at length about it; and for centuries, grandmothers taught their grandchildren to chew and place it onto a bee sting before the swelling began.