Broadleaf Plantains are a prolific weed that has mighty medicinal properties. 

Hul’qumi’num name: Sxu’enhween

I learned about these plantains on our second orientation day for the teacher education program. I had seen them in the grass because they are so widespread here on Vancouver Island, but I hadn’t known what they were. Broadleaf Plantains are a weed as common as dandelions, and they’re often seen growing near each other. They’re often overlooked despite their remarkable medicinal benefits. 

Plantains can be used in poultices and salves. Hikers can put them in their shoes to relieve the pain from blisters. Or they can be chewed and placed on burns, stings and infections.  

Indigenous people have used them not only for medicine but also for food. The seeds can be ground into a flower, and the leaves can be boiled until they are tender enough to eat. 

Photo by Tatiana Abramova