It feels like the end of summer, with the bugs slowing down their nightly song, the days growing a bit cooler, and a sluggish pause that always seems to happen before a seasonal transition. I’ve been drinking lots of coffee (the usual), neglecting my to-do lists (a little too much), and spending more time in the forest with my dogs (not nearly enough). But before this season of abundance wraps up, I wanted to tell you about a few plants you can use trailside to treat the minor (and sometimes less-minor) injuries that can happen while out and about in the backcountry.
Whether you’re looking for a more natural substitute to modern-day first aid kids, or just hoping to know a few trail hacks— these three herbs grow abundantly all across the US (and in many parts of Europe) and can be used to treat a variety of topical ailments. Here are my three favorite herbs to gather and use for trail medicine.
No. 1: Plantain
If you’ve seen this little flowering top swaying in the breeze along a road or trail (they prefer disturbed areas with low-quality soil), then you’ve been in the presence of Narrow-leaf Plantain (Plantago Lanceolata L.). According to the Peterson Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs (no worries, they make one for Eastern folk too) this plant is considered one of the nine sacred herbs of the Anglo-Saxons, likely because of its versatile healing properties.
Plantain (which also had a broadleaf relative that can also be used medicinally) is known to be an effective astringent (tightens tissue), demulcent (restores mucus membrane vitality) and antiseptic (disinfectant). It’s also often employed topically (as a fresh-plant poultice) for its anti-inflammatory properties. So how exactly can you use plantain for trail ailments? Here’s an incomplete list.
Internally (as a tea- fresh or dried leaf, crush or cut into smaller pieces) for diarrhea or ulcers. Because of its astringent and vulnerary (tissue-healing) properties, it’s an effective yet gentle internal remedy for stomach problems.
Externally (as a fresh or dried leaf poultice) for big bites, stings, burns, rashes, and blisters1. Keep in mind that while you can always make a spit poultice (by chewing up the plant and apply it), this method is best used exclusively on your own body (your mouth bacteria, your body- get it?!) When treating others, a poultice is best made with fresh, clean, water2.
How to ID Plantain:
Plantain (narrow or broad-leaf) is usually found in disturbed areas— roadsides, trail sides, or even in tilled fields or lawns. Narrow-leafed plantain has narrow, elongated leaves that come up from a large basal rosette. It’s most distinguishing features are the prominently paralleled-veins that run the length of each leaf, and the complete, smooth leaf margins. Broad-leafed plantain shares many of these characteristics, albeit with a fatter (ie. broader) leaf.3
The tricky thing about Plantain isn’t so much correctly ID’ing it, as it is finding a clean source. Since this plant likes to grow in disturbed areas, you may need to spend some extra time finding a patch that isn’t directly off the trail or road (otherwise it might be pee-tain more than anything else).
No. 2: Grindelia
I first discovered Grindelia (Grindelia squarrosa), also known as ‘Gumweed’, last summer when, much like the bees, I was lured in by the sweet smell of its sticky, flowering tops. Once you know the overpowering smell of Grindelia, it’s unmistakable, which can be especially helpful for trail ID.
While Grindelia can be taken home, tinctured4 and used internally for a number of respiratory, liver, and digestive ailments, it's incredible trail medicine for external issues including: scabs, cuts, sores, rashes, bug bites and stings, or swelling of any kind. According to Cech5, Grindelia is especially indicated for treating poison ivy and poison oak.
The best part about working with Grindelia? If you’re able to find some milky-white tops (pictured above), you don’t even need to grind up the plant into a poultice—just pluck off the sticky heads and apply the white resin directly to the affected area.
How to ID Grindelia:
Grindelia can also be found in disturbed areas (like trails and fire roads), and has white or yellowish stems, and alternate, bluntly-toothed leaves. Flowers are white and gummy before yellow disc florets begin to show. Highly aromatic, and sometimes biennial (meaning you may not find the most developed patches in the same spot two years in a row)!
No. 3: Yarrow
If you’ve been here a while, you know all about how much I love yarrow. But probably my favorite thing about Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is how abundantly it grows—even in dry climates like mine. If you haven’t seen these white flowering tops, not worry. Oftentimes the plant can be found just as leaf, a clusters of leaves, or even the very beginnings of a while flowery top. The trick is to know how to ID the fern-like leaves (millefolium, or “one thousand leaves”), then you’ll start to see this plant everywhere.
As a vulnerary (skin-healing), styptic (stops bleeding), analgesic (relives pain), and antiseptic herb, there are a lot of ways this plant can be used trail-side. I’ve used it as a fresh-plant poultice to treat cuts that won’t stop bleeding, as a (cooled) tea irrigate a fresh wound, and even as a compress (clean cloth soaked with tea) to relieve soreness and swelling on an infected scar.
Besides growing everywhere, Yarrow is also amazing because it offers a fix-it-and-forget-it solution. You can apply it to the cut/bruise/swollen area and leave it for as long as you need to without worrying about the plant causing any sort of infection or making things worse. Yarrow can even heal into a cut without issue thanks to those vulnerary, antiseptic properties. Overall, if I had to pick just one herb to have in my trailside first-aid kit—this would probably be it (just ask my friends, who are constantly getting quizzed on identifying Yarrow).
How to ID Yarrow
Yarrow grows in dry to moist wooded areas, and I’ve found it mostly emerging from places with a thick layer of pine needle mulch under forest canopies. Although Yarrow can be grown in gardens, only the white-flowering variety is medicinal.
Besides the distinct fern-like leaves and umbrella-like flowers6, yarrow also has a particular smell which resembles Thyme and certain wild species of Artemisia. This is due to the presence of Thujone, a naturally-occurring compound responsible for some of the healing properties of the plant that also lends it that distinct smell. If you think you may have found yourself a wild patch of Yarrow, go ahead and crush a leaf between your fingers and smell it. Yarrow has several volatile compounds and will often retain its particular scent (and medicinal qualities) even once it's dried. I like to use it fresh in the summer, and dry some at the end of season to use the rest of the year.
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We used plantain to treat a developing blister on the very hike you see in the first photo! My friend went from limping along the trail to walking just fine after applying a fresh poultice (right under her sock) to her heal where the blister was forming.
I love the info shared in this video and as a bonus you get to see her ID both Plantain and Yarrow! That being said, I don’t agree with every last bit of advice in this clip- especially with regard to needing to apply cheesecloth between plant matter and injuries for herbs like Yarrow. I’ve personally used Yarrow plenty of times and let it directly heal into tissue without issue! Our ancestors didn’t have cheesecloth, folks!
Be sure you’re always following Best Foraging Practices.
While some plants extract best in water (especially highly nutritive ones), others extract their medicine best in alcohol. Grindelia is one such plant, but be warned: This sticky goddess takes a bit of extra work to tincture. My favorite way to tincture Grindelia is to pick the sticky white tops, freeze them, and blend them with the correct ratio of alcohol. When working with resinous plants (including pine sap), freezing first can be a great way to handle them without gumming up your kitchen appliances.
Making Plant Medicine by Richo Cech.
Extra care should be taken when working with plants with white umbrella-like flowers as many species of poisonous plants also fall into this description. While none of these truly resemble Yarrow, it’s best to get yourself a reliable plant identification book, or take a foraging class (or ask a local herbalist to take you on a plant walk) before getting too confident with flowers of that description.