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Maple ( Acer) or oak ( Quercus) leaves are easier to recognize and safer to chew – unless you live where poison oak grows. Play it safe: learn to recognize witch hazel ( Hamamelis virginia) and willow ( Salix species) leaves before you chew on them. In the woods, you can take a leaf from a tree, chew it and apply that to the bite.Īny tree will do in an emergency, but if you have a choice, the best leaves are those from witch hazel, willow, oak or maple.
SYMPHYTUM UPLANDICA X HOW TO
How to Make a Perfect Baked Potato – No Foil, No Fuss “Like magic” the pain, heat, and swelling – even allergic reactions – disappear, fast! (Yes, you can dry plantain leaves and carry them in your first aid kit. Pick a leaf, chew it well and put it on the bite. Plantain, comfrey ( Symphytum uplandica x), yellow dock ( Rumex species), wild geranium ( Geranium maculatum), wild mallow ( Malva neglecta), chickweed ( Stellaria media), and yarrow are only a few of the possibilities. If you wish, use a large leaf or an adhesive bandage to hold the poultice in place. Just find a healing leaf, pluck it, chew it, and apply it directly to the sting/bite. Powdered white clay, which should be mixed with a little water or herb tea, can be applied directly to the sting as soon as possible.Ĭlay can be kept on hand at all times and is less likely to contain fungal spores than the real thing.įinely ground grains such as rice or oatmeal, or bland starchy materials like mallow root, grated potato, or arrowroot powder can also be used as soothing poultices to ease itching and pain from insect bites.įresh-herb poultices are a little more complicated, but not by much. No wonder they're the number one natural choice for treating insect bites, bee and wasp stings. Poultices ease pain, reduce swelling, and help heal. A South American variety ( Plantago psyllium) is used to make Metamucil – pretty good for a “weed”. Many Plantago species have seeds and leaves that can be used as food or medicine. You may find broad leaf plantain ( Plantago majus), with wide leaves and a tall seed head, or narrow leaf plantain ( Plantago lanceolata), with long thin leaves and a small flower head that looks like a flying saucer. Most leaves have a central vein with smaller ones branching out from it. Identify it by the five parallel veins running the length of each leaf. Plantain, also called ribwort, pig's ear, and the band-aid plant, is a common weed of lawns, driveways, parks and playgrounds. 4 Ways to Use Local Herbal Remedies for Bug Bites Plantain
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The best natural remedies for insect bites are right underfoot. Soothe, heal, and prevent bites with safe herbal remedies that grow right where you live. Summertime means insect bites and stings. No matter where you are, nature can provide soothing bug bite relief. Instead, find them underfoot or an arm's reach away. The best remedies for bug bites don't come from the pharmacy. 4 Ways to Use Local Herbal Remedies for Bug Bites.It should be noted, however, that the leaves are poisonous if ingested. officinale) have been grown in medicinal herb gardens for several centuries for the purported healing properties of the leaves and roots when applied as a poultice to inflamations and wounds. Specific epithet means of Uppland, Sweden. Genus name comes from the Greek words symphyo meaning to grow together and phyton for plant as the plant was believed to help heal wounds. From pinkish buds, flowers open up rose but mature to purple. It features large, oblong to elliptic-lanceolate, medium green leaves (to 14” long at the plant base) and bell-shaped, bluebell-like flowers that appear in drooping clusters (scorpiod cymes) from mid-spring to early summer. It typically grows in an upright clump to 18-24” tall with flower stems to 4-5'.
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asperum) that grows in waste areas and disturbed soils in the Caucasus Mountains. Symphytum × uplandicum, commonly known as Russian comfrey, is a naturally occurring hybrid ( S. Symphytum × uplandicum is generally a coarse, hairy, rhizomatous perennial that is typically grown in borders and shade gardens for its attractive foliage and Virginia bluebell-like spring flowers.
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