Ribwort

A perennial herb, commonly found in lawns, roadsides, parks and playgrounds, ribwort has a reputation as a highly adaptable, and often overlooked, weed. This ubiquity makes it an important edible and medicinal plant in survival situations. It comes in handy for many children who know it as “nature’s band-aid”, the leaves of which they can bruise or make into a spit poultice to apply to insect bites and small grazes.

Taken internally, ribwort is ideal for coughs and mild bronchitis as it acts as a gentle expectorant while soothing inflamed membranes. It can also alleviate gut inflammation and its astringency makes it helpful in diarrhoea and haemorrhoids.

The researchers in a recent pilot study into the efficacy and safety of ribwort for the common cold remarked that during the COVID-19 pandemic the lack of early therapeutic approaches has caused the infection to infiltrate and the consequent collapse of healthcare structures worldwide. They said ribwort could be used for the early treatment of acute respiratory infections “that could avoid disease progression and solve the current problem.” There is a general maxim among herbalists that remedies lie not far from their causes (“the cure grows near the cause”) so perhaps it is not a coincidence that humble ribwort is an abundant plant, a quiet hero, and can provide an antidote to the discomfort of respiratory mucous membranes that is free for all.

References

Bonetto D. BEHOLD PLANTAIN, for there is more to tell. Big Fag Press. (updated 5 May 2020; accessed 3 Jun 2022). Available from https://www.diegobonetto.com/blog/behold-plantain-for-there-is-more-to-tell

Hoffmann D. Medical Herbalism. Rochester: Healing Arts Press. 2003. p. 574

Isabel OA, Getino Antonio M, Larrechea Laura O, Gomez Sandra R, Garay Jon Kepa G, Basterretxea Maite V, et al. A pilot study of efficacy and safety of Plantago lanceolata and Primula veris, in the treatment of the common cold. Arch Pharma Pract 2020;11(3):1-7.