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Of all the plants Aunt Bett and I gathered from the mountainside, Plantago was her favorite. It would cure most anything, she said. I didn't think it had much going for it as far as looks were concerned, except it came in two different sizes, fat and skinny. She called the fat one Broadleaf; the skinny one was Snakeweed. I made sure I wore my asphidity bag when we gathered the Snakeweed.
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"Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!" I have no idea who said that, and have no inclination to research the words, but I use them because that is as close as I ever came to a bedbug. My dear Aunt Bett thought bedbugs were surely alien creatures out to get us. She believed the same thing about head lice (and I almost agree with her because the mere mention of either creature makes my skin crawl). Being a Mountain Medicine Woman, Aunt Bett had a big responsibility. It was not easy to get to the doctor during the middle part of the twentieth century, even the houses were few and far between. There was very little money available at that time. WWII had taken many lives, most of them male, and women in particular were struggling to make a living for their families by the grit of their teeth and whatever they could pull from the mountain that would sustain them. And those widows did not know how to drive; the fact is they could never have afforded a car. When there was a medical crisis within a family, many times the family would show up on the doorstep of a Medicine Woman, carrying with them some manner of payment. It might have been a chicken, a dozen eggs, whatever they had, they would give for relief from whatever ailed them. And if they had nothing to give, they were never turned away. Really, I am not digressing, but a good story teller sets the scene, and I want you to see in your mind entire families seated on Aunt Bett's front porch waiting for treatment for seriously infected skin eruptions. "Bedbugs", she proclaimed, loud and clear, "y'all got bedbugs! Run pick us some broadleaf, girl, and chew it on the way!" Broadleaf Plantain was the common name of one of two plants that were very nearly identical in their medicinal properties: Plantago lanceolata and Plantago major. The first has a very narrow leaf and a tall stalk which is topped with an almost invisible tiny white flower. It is also known as Snakeweed Plantain. The second has a broad leaf, a tall stalk and on the stalk are hundreds of tiny purple flowers and seed pods. It is the more palatable of the two, and its young leaves were often used in salads. For bugbites it was the broad leaf I was sent to pick, thank goodness, because the narrowleaf tasted about like the asphidity bag smelled. It wasn't that the tiny bed bugs did much damage, They didn't, but they bit, then the bite itched and itching produced scratching and scratching with dirty fingers often created an infection. Broadleaf was chewed, placed on the cleaned bugbite, and wrapped and tied with a clean white cloth to hold in place. Within a day or two the infection was all cleared and the problem was solved. She told them they could also boil the leaves before putting them on the bug bite, but this being summer there was no fire in her kitchen stove. The fastest thing to do for the infected bites was to clean them and patch them up with the munched juicy warm leaves. Yuck!!! Eventually she taught most of the folks to find their own broadleaf and cure their own bedbug bites, hoping all the while they could completely eradicate the intrusive little bedbugs. Now, though aggravating, bedbugs really cause no damage. They are a small nocturnal insect that lives by hemalophagy, which means that it feeds on the blood of warm blooded hosts. They are attracted by exhaled carbon dioxide and body heat, not by dirt, and they feed on blood, not waste. Bedbugs pass no known disease from one host to another. The problem is getting rid of them. Aunt Bett's broadleaf could cure the infected bite, but it was up to the family to wash every piece of bedding, sleeping garments and most everything else in the bedroom in very hot water. She also advocated scrubbing floors and rugs as well. I have mentioned that Aunt Bett believed that every living thing had a purpose, and that included plants. The two Plantagos had their purposes as well. I was never told the purpose of the bedbugs. Aunt Bett knew of many uses for Plantago. It is a perennial herb and is fairly well naturalized throughout the world, a very adaptable plant. She told me that it dated back to ancient times, and our Native American friends carried the dried and powdered root around with them as a cure for snakebite. She said they called the plant "life medicine" and I think she believed that as well. As a food the young leaves of the broadleaf could be used in salads, and cooked as greens. As an infusion, the tea was used to ease asthma and other bronchial and lung infections, as well as dysentery, and other problems with the digestive system. The root of course is an anti venom for snake bites, used on humans as well as work animals and pets. The root swells in the gut and acts as a laxative. The seeds can be used to rid a body of worms, and mixed with water, any part of the plant is a soothing eye lotion. Only recently I have learned that ingestion of plantain causes a natural aversion to tobacco and is currently being used in stop smoking preparations. (www.altnature.com) According to other sources (www.botanical.com) plantain entered into almost every old remedy, often boiled in combination with other plants and flowers. So perhaps it was a real "life medicine." Both types of plantain grew wild and all over the place in the mountains, we really didn't have to go far to find it, as long as it was not in the direct path of humanity. Aunt Bett thought it much cleaner and more effective if it were gathered far off the beaten path. She always told me it was healthier if humans and domesticated animals had not touched it. I am not sure what she considered my dogs to be since at least one of them followed us wherever we went; but truthfully Pepper did not really stay near us, she was off chasing squirrels and rabbits and only came when I called to her. Digging deeply into my memory I can remember that Aunt Bett used broadleaf plantain first as a quick remedy straight off the plant for bed bug bites as well as other insect bites, but of course it had to be chewed first. She also made it into a tea, and from her writings here is her tea recipe: For colds and flu: 1 tabls dry or fresh whole plantain, root, seeds and leaves add to 1 cup of biling (boiling) water, let set for 10 mins, then strain and sweeten with honey. Drink from cup through the rest of the day till empty. She also made a plantain salve: Chop whole clean plant, roots and all. Add a cup of lard. (Oh my, lard! But this was a salve, not to be eaten.) Cover and cook down slowlike till soft like mush. Strain while hot. Pour into small jars or salve tins while still warm enough to pour. Use for bites, pison ivy, burns, sores. Decoctions were made as well, often mixed with other herbs and flowers to store to be used during the winter months. Please refer to previous Aunt Bett articles for decoction recipes which included boiling two or even three times to get the most medicine from the plant. Plantago was easily found across the creek and on the lowest part of the hillside in the back of her house. Of course it grew all over her yard too, but we could not gather leaves too near where people walked. In the fall we gathered it to be dried. Seeds were separated and saved separately as were the leaves and roots. For some medicines she used only one of the three ingredients, and for others she combined the three. I find in her papers no separation of the two plants, she used them interchangeably. In my own research, I find that to be true as well, so I have written this article with that in mind. There is one thought that I have and that is this: Native Americans called the narrow leafed Plantago "snakeweed". I would suppose that particular plant was the specific one used on a snakebite. I also noticed that she cooked the snakeweed for eating, but she never used it in a salad or for her medicinal chewing. Thank goodness. It would have been similar to eating my asphidity bag. My thanks go to Weezigreens of Seward, Alaska whose photo I used as a thumbnail appeared in Plant Files. And my deepest appreciation goes to Daniel Reed whose photos of Plantago appear on his website, www.2bnthewild.com and who was very generous with his permission for their use. The photo of remnants of Aunt Bett writings belongs to the author. Believe me, new spectacles (Aunt Bett's word) are in order! 
 | I am a retired high school art and humanities teacher. I grew up in the Appalachian mountains of southeast KY and now I live with my two rescued cats, Jazz and Daisy, in far western KY. I love daylilies and perennials, and thanks to my DG friends this year I am adding roses to my gardens.
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Subject: wonderful writtings
Posted by lizrainey (from San Mateo, CA) on April 30, 2008 at 8:46 AM:shar, another great story! did enjoy reading very much. ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 30, 2008 at 9:53 AM: Thank you, Liz.
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Subject: Wow! Learned some more from Aunt Bett!
Posted by grrlsmom (from Taylorville, IL) on April 28, 2008 at 3:10 PM:Thanks for sharing! So informative and interesting - and I COULD see the whole family on the porch! ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 28, 2008 at 3:14 PM: And their old hound dog came with them, I had forgotten about him when I wrote the article.
Thank you. ...
Subject: Yarrow and plantain salve
Posted by kaziah (from Tulsa, OK) on April 28, 2008 at 2:25 PM: I love your stories about Aunt Bett. My mother was like that. When we went walking she would explain all of the wild herbs to me, and give instructions on their use. I never paid much attention to what she said because, of course, at 12 years old, I knew more than she did and besides, someone in their 30s that came from the hills in Arkansas, could not know as much as I did. Mom is gone now and I am 65. I sure wish I had listened and took notes. I love using herbs medicinaly now but have had to learn everything over. I can at least relive some of those moments with mom, through your postings. Thank you a bunch for giving us the gift of your stories.
I make a salve using oil of yarrow and plantain (soak the herbs in olive oil for 6 weeks then strain) mixed with bee's wax. It is used for minor scratches and bug bites. Enjoy!
Keep up the stories. You never know who you might influence. ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 28, 2008 at 2:54 PM: How very nice of you, Kaziah, we are the same age with similar memories. I would have forgotten too, but had lots of papers that were my mothers. As I read them I remember more and more.
We mixed herbs in that way also, and plantain with comfrey also makes a good one. My yarrow I notice is not doing very well this spring, I might not be able to save it, so that will be a good excuse to take a look at all the other herbs in my favorite nursery. I enjoy finding something that I remember from those years.
Thank you again. ...
Subject: Great Article
Posted by v3zz4 (from Fostoria, OH) on April 28, 2008 at 11:22 AM:Hi, I'm new and this was my first Aunt Bett story. It was great and thanks for the links. I'm going to try that salve.
It's funny, my 86 year old mother and I were just talking about bedbugs yesterday. Not even sure why it came up except we were reminiscing about my Grandmother (her mother) and my Grandfather. They rented houses and many times had to go in and eliminate the bedbugs and cockroaches. My Grandpa joked one time that there were so many cockroaches he put them to work carrying out the old claw footed bathtub. LOL!
Thanks for the memories! ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 28, 2008 at 11:52 AM: Hi v3zz4, welcome to Dave's Garden. I am glad you enjoyed this story, there are more that you can go back and pick up. Your mom will enjoy them too.
You will find lots of great articles, and a ton of information here.
Sharon ...
Subject: Aunt Bett stories
Posted by tabby7 (from Alford, FL) on April 28, 2008 at 7:22 AM:Please get your stories published! They are wonderful. ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 28, 2008 at 11:55 AM: Thanks, Tabby7. I am looking into it. ... Posted by DonnieBrook (from New England/Florida
(United States)) on April 28, 2008 at 1:36 PM: A lovely respite today from the work and heat of the day......As with your other Aunt Bett articles, this one is also a winner! Yes to publishing!! Thank you, Sharon!
Louise ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 28, 2008 at 2:56 PM: Hi Louise, thank you again! Happy traveling this week.
... Posted by Starzz (from Newcastle, ON) on April 28, 2008 at 10:03 PM: From now on I will look at the "weeds" in my backyard and think of you and Aunt Bett...and wonder what magic they hold.
Thanks Sharon....
I look forward to reading your Aunt Bett stories. ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 28, 2008 at 11:05 PM: Thank you, Carol, it is always nice to know you are there reading them.
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Subject: Smiles
Posted by herbalbetty (from Middleburgh, NY) on April 28, 2008 at 6:59 AM:Your stories always bring a smile to my lips. I recall my mother and my aunts talking about their Grandmother, who knew about plants and healing. Thank you for sharing your wonderful tales of Aunt Bett! ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 28, 2008 at 11:55 AM: Thank you, I am so glad you enjoy them. ...
Subject: Done it again...
Posted by Sundownr (from Wytheville, VA) on April 24, 2008 at 3:04 AM:I enjoyed this Aunt Bett article so very much! Thank you again for another wonderful story and education!
I see a lot of reference to plantain in herbal remedies, I just wasn't sure if what I saw in the yard was the real deal. Thanks to your photo contributors, too!
Waiting on another story...
Sundownr ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 24, 2008 at 11:25 AM: Sundownr, thank you. I worked in the yard yesterday and discovered some Broadleaf plantain, I keep looking for the Snakeleaf, but haven't found any yet. Plantain is in a lot of herbal remedies. I know she used it often in combination with other herbs.
Glad you enjoyed the article. ...
Subject: OMG Shar....
Posted by Bettypauze (from Victoria Harbour, ON) on April 23, 2008 at 11:57 AM:Very interesting article, the medicine woman Lydia that comes to paint in my studio just brought me a bottle of medication that had been brewing for over 2 months..it had plantain as one of the ingredients...
From time to time she has made salve for 'Sailor' Border Collie who gets hot spots and within days she is back on the mend...
Last week she dropped off a bottle of Swedish Remedy 'cure for all' she said, which also has plantain in it .. she hopes it would help me with my stomach pain
Perhaps I should be out in my yard where she has shown me plaintain growing in abundance ... I could be trying your recipe of my own...
Thank you for yet another great story...I also truly believe in 'Lydia's' home remedies as you do with your Aunt Bett... ...
Subject: Smiling Eyes
Posted by Seedtosser1 (from Glenview, IL) on April 23, 2008 at 10:12 AM:Sharon,
You have made my eyes smile once again.
It has become regular routine to watch in excited anticipation for your next adventure
with Aunt Bett.
When I see ...and Aunt Bett by Sharon Brown, Coffee in hand article goes up and I am tranfixed in another time.
Your writing has of my sences going. I feel as though I were there.
Excellent!
LOL, getting my specticles so I can see recipe better too!
... Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on April 23, 2008 at 3:04 PM: Once again, Sharon. Excellent. And I think I have some of that stuff growing in my back yard! ... Posted by melody (from Benton, KY) on April 23, 2008 at 10:56 PM: Another wonderful story. (I'm just getting around to reading today's articles)
Plantain is also a larval host for the Buckeye Butterfly. So it's good for even the caterpillars! ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 23, 2008 at 11:02 PM: Thanks, y'all sure brighten my day. ... Posted by gloriag (from Floyd, VA) on April 24, 2008 at 2:22 AM: There's no question, you have a gift. I am so glad you have the writings and notes of Aunt Bett. They must be precious to you. I think I remember someone telling me plantain was good for poison ivy. It grew everywhere, but I haven't seen it here in Floyd yet. ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 24, 2008 at 11:15 AM: You are right, Gloria, it is good for poison ivy, it will clear up the infected area, but I don't think it will keep it from spreading, if the person is severely allergic. Plantain will only clear the infection that is on the surface of the skin. I have seen her boil plantain and comfrey together just long enough to soften the leaves, then rinse in cool water, and place the softened leaves over the infected area.
I have some memories of certain events, lots of notes and recipes, but the funny times are the ones that stand out in my mind.
thank you, I am glad you enjoy the articles. ...
Subject: Bedbugs!
Posted by nanny_56 (from Putnam County, IN) on April 23, 2008 at 7:21 AM:Ewww...I am with Aunt Bet on this one!
We once checked in to a motel coming home from Floridia years ago. We were so exhausted we just wanted to get some sleep. We checked out 3 hours later. After taking baths and getting into bed we started to fell like we were being eaten alive! My grandpa had warned us about stopping at cheap motels, but we didn't listen. We couldn't get out of there fast enough!! lol ... Posted by Soulja (from Louisville, KY) on April 23, 2008 at 8:08 AM: another excellent story Shar! I just bought some Bee Balm for my herb garden with Aunt Bett and the butterflies in mind.
Thanks for your wonderfully written memories.
Keep these coming. Aunt Bett makes me proud to be a Kentuckian.
love, Shawna ... Posted by podster (from Deep East Texas, TX) on April 23, 2008 at 8:28 AM: Always enjoy your Aunt Bett tales. The telling makes her memory live and the knowledge continues to be shared. She would admire you greatly. ... Posted by Pamgarden (from Nellysford, VA) on April 23, 2008 at 12:04 PM: Aren't bedbugs becoming a problem in hotels again? I just heard something on the news about it.
As kids, we used to gather up plantago to use in our play as pretend letttuce leaves and peas with our little dishes.
The Aunt Bett stories are thee best! ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 23, 2008 at 1:37 PM: Thank you, the writings bring back some really fun memories, so I am glad you enjoy them. ...
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