In August I did a plant walk at Honcho campout: a very gay festival that mixes house and techno music with talks by Dean Spade, naked yoga and me in a sexy cow outfit making you describe, sniff and squish plantain leaves. We talked about the many gifts of plantago - you might know some of them:
The herb that you can rub on bug bites to immediately soothe the burn, or to slow down bleeding
The plant genus that brings you fiber bulking psyllium husk for constipation and anal sex support
For soothing wounds, burns and dry inflamed conditions both internally and externally.
The genus Plantago consists of 200 species, of which 24 are native to Turtle Island, however the dominant species are broadleaf and narrow leaf plantain - both of which come from Eurasia. They are both rapid proliferators, earning the name “White man’s footsteps” by the Anishinabee and other indigenous tribes, as the seeds travelled in cart wheels across the land during colonization. The main reason for the flourishing of these plants across the land are their abilities to grow in compacted soil, which there is a whole lot more of now.
The focus on reproductively advantaged non-native plants as sole agents of ecological collapse kind of grinds my gears. Which is not to say it’s not absolutely our responsibility to slow the growth of plants like kudzu, Japanese knotweed, and stiltgrass. What I often see, however, are instagram videos of someone jumping out of their car, pulling a mullein out of the ground and standing over it like a big game hunter with a “don’t @ me herbalists” caption. I deeply appreciate the intention to care for the earth, but there are a few questions I wonder if they have considered:
Why is that plant dominant in that environment? Is the environment one that would support many native plants?
What will replace it? Who will plant a native that will fill the ecological niche it was filling?
What was its ecological role in affecting soil quality, erosion, remediation of soil, as a shelter and food source for insects, birds, and mammals? Will it be replaced by other plants that can fill these roles or do so in a way that supports native flora and fauna more?
Is there a way for beings to benefit from the overgrowth of this plant while simultaneously removing it from the environment?
In the case of mullein (verbascum thaspus) - it is a first succession plant - one that spreads in bare or disturbed soil and which tolerates drought conditions. Its deep taproot breaks up that compaction, and its large foliage blocks other plants from growing, but once those plants do become established they quickly outcompete the low growing 1st year mullein rosette which requires full sun. If the soil is allowed to progress to meadow or forest, mullein will quickly disappear. In the meantime it does provide food and shelter to both native and non native bees, flies, spiders, and weevils as well as seeds for many birds.
Some native plants that grow in that type of environment which fill similar ecological needs and expand them are: milkweed, big bluestem grass, goldenrod, and prairie dock. Humans have had a long relationship with mullein (one of whose names is torch plant from Roman times), its fuzzy leaves can be used as toilet paper, seeds within fishing, and leaves, flowers, and root medicinally to fight against the bacteria responsible for TB, as a soothing expectorant for the respiratory system, as an oil treatment for burns and for ear aches.
Maybe you are getting the vibe that I have a lot to say about this subject, you can find some of these thoughts in the 16 page zine I wrote here:
One of the benefits that fast non-native plants can provide is being a source of medicine that can be an alternative for endangered plants. Goldenseal is an endangered plant, overharvested for medicine. One of its attributes is the alkaloid berberine which is an outstanding anti-microbial. Japanese barberry, a very common non native plant which fills a lot of the understory of forests in the northeast, has roots that are also berberine rich. You can and should uproot and harvest this plant for medicine. Some of the ways one could work with this plant are for:
Fighting infections: especially h pylori stomach ulcers, lyme disease, UTIs, and yeast infections
Liver support through stimulating bile, aiding in detoxification and protecting the liver through antioxidant activity
Enhancing the efficacy of antibiotics
As an herb it also:
Lowers lipids and reduces insulin resistance
Reduces symptoms of opiate withdrawal
Reduces inflammation and decreasing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
Supportsheart health and lowering blood pressure.
Invasive plants are going to be a part of our ecosystem, it is our duty to learn how to bring them into balance with a world that evolved without them.
Want to try Japanese barberry, cleavers, hawthorn, motherwort, wild lettuce, yellow dock and other foraged non native medicines? Get them from me here!