Medieval herb garden blog 83: Ribwort

Ribwort is edible. However, the leaves, even when young, are much too bitter to eat raw.

The flower heads can be collected to make a mushroom-flavoured vegetable stock. They are best used once they've turned brown, but are not yet dry.

The seeds are nutty and rich in protein. They can be ground into flour.

The whole ribwort plant or just the leaves can be simmered in water to make a dye. It creates soft yellow, gold and brown dyes.

In Irish folklore it was believed that ribwort could treat major wounds. These included those of Christ on the cross.

Ribwort is one of the Anglo-Saxon “nine sacred herbs”. It is recorded in the Lacnunga charm from the 900s AD as one of the sacred plants given power (by the Lord) to withstand poison and infection.

In parts of Scotland, people picked ribwort heads on St John’s Eve (23 June). They stripped the stamens and placed them under their pillows to see if new stamens grew overnight. This supposedly predicted that a wish would come true.

Ribwort was thought to be useful as a possible fodder plant. Curtis, in his 'Flora Londonensis', said: "The farmers in general consider this species of plantain as a favourite food of sheep and hence it is frequently recommended in the laying down of meadow and pasture land, and the seed is for that purpose kept in the shops."

Ribwort leaves were used in traditional Austrian medicine. They were used internally (as syrup or tea) or applied externally (the fresh leaves). They treated respiratory tract problems, skin irritations, insect bites and infections.

The ribwort plantain is considered an invasive species across Australia. It is also considered invasive in the USA, where it was accidentally introduced in 1822.

Ribwort is host to many different species of insects. The glanville fritillary (melitaea cinxia) lays its eggs on ribwort as a food source for its larvae. The seed heads are also a useful food for seed-eating birds.

Podosphaera plantaginis and Golovinomyces sordidus are powdery mildews that infect ribwort.

Ribwort was effective against nettle stings or insect bites. It worked as an antihistamine and a painkiller. Its leaves were used to make a cough medicine. Crushed or chewed leaves were widely applied as a poultice to fresh cuts to staunch bleeding.

“The juice or decoction of Plantain drunken stoppeth the bloody flux and all other fluxes of the belly, stoppeth the pissing of blood, spitting of blood, and all other issues of blood in man or woman, and the desire to vomit.”

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.