Though often dismissed as a “beginner herb,” the health benefits of plantain leaf – and ways of working with this versatile herb – are many. Please join me to explore all things plantain with my dear friend and fellow herbalist, jim mcdonald.

For those of you who don’t yet know jim, here’s a bit more about him:

In 1994, jim mcdonald's life changed when he drank tea from a wild plant he harvested from the land he lived upon. Since those first sips of strange tea, his life in the woods and meadows of southeast michigan has been centered on the plants & ecosystems of that land, and how he might share their virtues to restore wellness with those around him. jim's approach to herbcraft is deeply rooted in the land he lives upon, and blends traditional european folk influences with 19th century eclectic and physiomedical vitalism, which he conveys with story, experience, humour, common sense and lore to students, clients, random passersby and readers of his website www.herbcraft.org. He's taught classes throughout north america and is currently alternately writing “Foundational Herbcraft” and “A Great Lakes Herbal,” in addition to articles for journals and other publications. jim is a community herbalist, a manic wildcrafter and medicine maker, and has been an ardent student of the most learned teachers of herbcraft… the plants themselves.

Listen in for:

► jim’s experience of working with plantain in his own life (Timestamp: 20:53)

► The most effective way to work with plantain for itchy, irritated, insect-bitten skin (31:59)

► How other herbal traditions can be a springboard for exploration (Timestamp: 42:50)

Here is one of my favorite takeaways from our conversation:

“So much of herbalism is in not the big claims of this does that, or this is that, or this is anti-bacterial or anti-inflammatory for this reason or that reason. It's finding the nuance of ‘Oh, this works best like this for this presentation and this kind of person.’”

jim shines at bringing curiosity, critical thought and common sense to working with herbs, matching herbs to people rather than mixing and matching herbs for X, Y, Z problem or disease. He’s an engaging teacher with a world of wisdom to share and I’m delighted to bring our conversation to you today!

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Get full show notes including a transcript of this episode at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.