Plantain: The Perfect Herb for Summer First Aid

Summertime means time outdoors: sunshine, bare feet, and backyard adventures. And that can also mean bug bites, sunburns, cuts and scrapes. Tucked into the cracks of sidewalks, the edges of gardens, and along nearly every trail, there’s a little green plant quietly waiting to help with just about all of it.

Meet plantain: one of the most useful (and most overlooked!) herbs of the summer season.

Bug Bites, Stings & Splinters

If you’ve ever been out hiking or gardening and found yourself the victim of a mosquito bite or bee sting, plantain can come to the rescue—fast.

Plantain has been lovingly called “Indian band aid” for its ability to draw out splinters, stingers, and toxins, while also soothing irritation. Just pick a fresh leaf, chew it slightly (or crush it with your fingers), and press it directly on the bite or sting to make a quick “spit poultice.” The enzymes in your saliva can enhance the plant’s effectiveness, helping reduce pain, swelling, and itching naturally.

It’s safe for kids too, making it a great remedy to teach little ones during summer playtime or camping trips.

Sunburn & Heat Soothing

Plantain’s cooling and demulcent properties make it an excellent remedy for sunburns and irritated skin from too much sun or heat.

To use:

• Crush fresh leaves and apply directly to the skin

• Or make a plantain-infused oil or strong tea, chill it, and apply it gently with a cloth as a compress

  
  

Plantain helps calm the burning sensation, reduces inflammation, and promotes healing. Its rich content of vitamin K and mucilage helps moisturize the skin and may even help prevent peeling.

Cooling and Calming

Plantain isn’t just for bites and burns. It has a cooling effect on the body overall, making it a wonderful herb to take internally to support wellness in hot weather. Whether you’re overheated, sunburned, or just feeling sluggish in the summer heat, plantain can help bring balance.

Try sipping plantain tea (cool or room temperature) to help soothe irritation in the skin, lungs, or digestive tract.

It’s also helpful if you've gotten into some poison ivy, brushed against stinging nettles, or spent too much time in dry, dusty air.

Foraging & Using Plantain For Summer First Aid

If you’re new to foraging, plantain is one of the easiest and most useful herbs to start with. It loves disturbed, compacted soil, so you’ll often find it in places like lawns, sidewalks, driveways, trails, and garden edges.

There are two main types you’re likely to see: Plantago major, which has broad oval leaves, and Plantago lanceolata, which has long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves. There are many other species of plantain, and all are useful, but these are the two most common. Both types grow in a circular pattern called a basal rosette, with all the leaves spreading out close to the ground from a central point.

A key feature to look for is the long, straight ribbed veins running the length of the leaves. These veins are thick and fibrous. If you gently pull a leaf from the base, you might notice stretchy white threads separating from the stem; that’s another giveaway that you’ve found plantain.

In the summer, plantain produces a thin, upright flower stalk that can reach up to 15 inches tall. It’s covered in tiny, inconspicuous flowers, which later turn into seed heads. The seeds have a sticky coating that helps them attach to animals (or your shoes!) for easy spreading.

Plantain is easy to spot once you know what to look for! Harvest from clean areas away from roads or sprayed lawns. The leaves can be used fresh all summer or dried for later. You can also:

• Infuse in oil for a healing salve

• Blend into green juices

• Add tender young leaves to summer salads

A Summer Staple

Whether you're headed to the lake, working in the garden, or chasing kids through the yard, plantain deserves a place in your summer first aid toolkit. It’s gentle, effective, easy to recognize, and abundant, making it perfect for beginners and seasoned herbalists alike.

So next time you spot this humble little plant underfoot, give it a second look. Plantain may be one of the most powerful (and accessible) herbs of the season.