Since childhood, we know very well: if you fell, and there was an abrasion, it is enough to find the leaves of the plantain and attach them to the wound. Even then, we knew exactly what this plant looks like, but now it’s time to find out what properties this plant stores healing roadside grass.
Botanical description
The famous plantain (lat. Plantágo) It belongs to the genus of both annual and perennial plants, which have more than a hundred subspecies. The grass is a shallow rhizome, from which grows a large number of large simple petioles with arc venation. Periodically, flowering occurs in the form of a dense ear. Seeds propagate primarily through the wind. 
Spread
The name of the plant speaks for itself, because this grass grows along roads, as well as in fields, steppes and even meadows in Europe, Africa, America and Asia. The plant is very common in the CIS countries (botany has more than 50 species).
American Indian tribes called plantain "next to the white people", after all, its seeds were “white” on their shoes during their first visits to a new continent.
Did you know? The homeland of plantain is England. In the 5th century AD, the Saxons took him for a sacred plant.
Chemical composition
Tripnut (another name for plantain) refers to those types of herbs, the benefits of which lie not in any part, but in the whole plant. The composition of the root, leaves and seeds includes a huge amount of nutrients:
- The root contains linoleic acid, phytosterols and other components necessary for humans.
- Seeds store fatty oils, carbohydrates, proteins, and acids.
- Leaves (the most micronutrient-rich parts of the herb) can share polysaccharides and organic acids, as well as a large amount of vitamins, including ascorbic acid.
Medicinal properties
The healing properties of this miracle plant are very difficult to overestimate: it has bactericidal, hemostatic, healing, expectorant, soothing, relaxing effects.
Also plantain It has a positive effect on the appetite and general condition of the digestive system. Doctors say that plantain decoctions help in the fight against malignant tumors. Plantain perfectly helps with various edemas, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and many other things.
Like the plantain, the bathing, calendula, sage (salvia) meadow grass, linden, chervil, lyubka bilustus, watercress, yucca, dodder, viburnum buldenezh, goldenrod, slug-bow, peanut, oregano have a positive effect on the digestive system, oregano) and kale cabbage.
Use and application in medicine
Based on the therapeutic and useful properties, it follows that the use of plantain in medicine is very wide. On the basis of this herb produced a huge amount of juice, tinctures and decoctions. The roadside plant is used both in the production of certified medical products and by simple housewives in preparing homemade recipes.
Did you know? 2003 was a significant year for botanist scientists. An article in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology published an article stating that grass growing on roads affects cancer cells, destroying them.
Application in cosmetology
In cosmetology is actively used juice of plantain leaves, and various ointments based on it. The juice from this herb relieves swelling, perfectly heals wounds and helps with the fight against acne.
For oily skin, washing with decoction of psyllium helps perfectly. And if you remember such a useful property as bactericidal, then the juice can be perfectly used to clean the skin from impurities.
In cosmetology, they also use momordica, purslane, marigolds, nasturtium, leek, bird cherry, rosemary, cornflower, broccoli, garden savory, soapworm (saponaria), honey and lime.
Cooking Uses
Contrary to everyone's surprise, plantain is Not only useful, but also delicious grass. It is used in the preparation of cereals (from seeds), borscht (leaves), cabbage rolls, meatballs, and even just pickles from this plant.
Plantain can be both tasty, and most importantly, a useful ingredient, as well as a full-fledged independent dish - for example, pickled plantain leaves in apple vinegar. 
Plantain seeds: use and benefits
Plantain seeds, like the whole plant, possess a large number of useful properties: diuretic, antibacterial, healing, expectorant and others. Basically, plantain seeds are used for bronchitis (as a means for phlegm removal), for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, for disorders of the cardiovascular system, for skin inflammation, and also for the prevention of problems such as hemorrhoids.
In addition to the plantain, in dermatology also used: medicinal comfrey (zhivokost), horsetail (sausage), anise lofant, asparagus, verbena officinalis, mordovnik, parsnip, peony, melon, acacia honey and feijoa.
Harvesting and storage of raw materials
For the preparation of raw materials is better to choose dry weather. The leaves should be collected during the flowering period of the plant (late spring - early summer), while seeds must be collected from late summer to early autumn. 
To collect leaves you must use sharp scissors (in any case, do not tear them, so as not to damage the plate or cuttings). Leaf plates are cut with a small grip handle. To obtain seeds, it is necessary to take a ripened spike and tear off the seed pods above the paper or cloth. After which the seeds are selected and stored in a dry dish. Harvest should be stored in a dry place away from direct sunlight. The best container for grass and seeds will be natural dishes or boxes made of wood or cardboard.
Important! Useful properties in the finished raw materials under the right conditions of storage will not be saved for more than 2 years.
Harmful properties
With proper storage and use of psyllium-based drugs, this herb cannot have any harmful properties, except for certain contraindications to use.
Contraindications
There are no special contraindications for healing herbs, except for the following:
- component intolerance;
- the presence of ulcers;
- excessive gastric secretion;
- tendency to thrombosis.
Growing at home
It is very convenient to have such valuable grass at your fingertips, so you need to understand in detail how to properly grow plantain at home for a good harvest.
Soil preparation and fertilizer
The soil for Plantágo is suitable any other than clay. Pre-worth it is good to loosen the earth and enrich with any fertilizer - potassium is best suited. 
Seeding features
It is best to plant grains before winter, having dug them in at a depth of half a centimeter, keeping a distance of 40-60 cm, because the grass has large leaves that occupy a rather large area. Planting at this time is better because in the cool soil the seeds during the winter are stratified and sprout well in the spring.
Sowing care
Planted seeds should be regularly loosened, weed and water. Plantain loves moisture However, you can not overdo it with water.
Also, seedlings need to be regularly fertilized, but the plantain is unpretentious and will be able to germinate without fertilizing. 
Harvest
There is a secret in harvesting: It is best to collect the plantain after a shower, when the sun comes out and dry the leaves well.
The time to harvest depends on the age of the grass: an annual plant is collected once a season at the beginning of flowering; Perennial grass is harvested twice per season: at the beginning of flowering and autumn. It is necessary to cut off large leaves (9-12cm).
If it is necessary to dry the harvested crop, it should be spread out on the surface in a well-ventilated room. You can also dry the plant in the oven at a temperature of 45-50 ° C. 
Drug Cooking Recipes
Medicinal Plantain Drinks will help the body deal with many problems or simply have a positive effect on its overall condition.
Of leaves
The leaves of any plant have the greatest number of useful properties: plantain is no exception. For the preparation of infusions and decoctions using both dry and fresh leaves of the miraculous herb.
Decoction
Boil 250 ml of water and add 10 g of dried plantain leaves. Boil the mixture for 3-5 minutes on low heat under a lid. In the resulting broth add a couple of teaspoons of honey. This mixture is great for coughing or getting cold. It is necessary to accept 100 ml three times a day.
As with the plantain, antibacterial properties also have: Canadian sanguinaria, goldenrod, mountain ash, willow, black walnut, immortelle, golden root (Rhodiola rosea), verbena officinalis, tangerines and savory garden.
Infusion
1 tablespoon of dry leaves should be poured over with 1 liter of hot water and insisted for 20-30 minutes.
Such a mood normalizes pressure, has a sedative effect. Drink 200 ml 2 times a day. 
Tincture
50 g of fresh leaves of plantain should be placed in a dark bottle (capacity 0.5 l), pour a mixture of water and alcohol in a 50/50 ratio, shake well. Next, put in a dark cool place. for 2-3 weeks.
Tincture perfectly helps with diseases of the stomach, colds or with problems with the joints. Take 2 times a day for 30-50 ml. 
From seed
Seeds have a huge amount of vitamins and minerals. In addition to the fact that they can grow new grass, they can also be brewed for medicinal purposes.
Decoction
To prepare a decoction for constipation, you need to take 5 tablespoons of seeds, pour 300 ml of hot water over them and put on a small fire for 40 minutes.
Drink 50 ml before every meal. 
Infusion
In order to cleanse the body and help the stomach and intestines work, it is necessary to take 5 g of seeds and pour 500 ml of water over them, let them swell well. After that, the resulting grain must be drunk with water 30 minutes before a meal or an hour after.
Use once a day.
A positive effect on the cardiovascular system also have: carrots, radishes, calendula, hawthorn (glod), silver goof, basil, eggplant, aconite, filbert, gumi (multi-flowered sucker) and yasenets (burning bush).
Important! After drinking, you need to drink a lot of liquid, because the grains work as a sorbent, and the lack of moisture will prevent this process.
So, having understood the beneficial properties of the miraculous plantain herb, we can conclude: the plant is completely unpretentious in the care, therefore, you can grow it yourself at home and collect a wonderful harvest every year.
