This unremarkable weed is a good medicine for bronchitis, and every part of it is useful and it is easy to grow

When I was little, I remember that every year on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, my mom would go outside and pull up a handful of clam weed, wash it clean and throw it into the water vat, saying it could detoxify the body and that after drinking this water you would not get sick for a year. And this wild weed that we call clam weed is wild plantain (Plantago asiatica).

In some places it is actually called plantain and not clam weed; for example, it is called ox-tongue grass, wheel vegetable, and so on, with different names in different places. Wild plantain has strong adaptability. It grows freely by roadsides and watersides, in front of and behind houses, and can be seen almost everywhere, yet it is quite unremarkable. Apart from around the Dragon Boat Festival, it is also very easy to find it in this current season.

Plantain is a Chinese herbal medicine we are very familiar with. The simplest way to use it is to wash it clean and directly brew it in water to drink. It has a very good effect on relieving cough and removing phlegm, and on promoting urination and stopping diarrhea, and it is especially effective against bronchitis.

But in fact, plantain can also be eaten as a vegetable. People mainly pick its tender stems, leaves and tender shoots, and use them for cold dishes, fillings, and so on, and the flavor is quite unique. Some vegetable growers have planted plantain in flower pots, and surprisingly it looks quite good, and it is also very easy to grow: good-looking, easy to grow, and tasty too.

Plantain can be propagated by seed, or directly transplanted. It has the characteristics of a wild weed, has no strict requirements for soil, and is very easy to keep alive. It grows well in sunny, warm and humid environments. Plantain is cold-resistant and drought-resistant. Its suitable growth temperature is 15-25°C. Above 30°C, its growth will slow down. For pot cultivation, loose and fertile sandy loam is suitable, and some base fertilizer can be applied before planting.

Although plantain is drought-resistant, it is more suitable for a humid environment, so when watering it, do it a little more frequently, and normally keep the potting soil moist. Especially during high temperatures in summer, increase the number of waterings. In addition, give it more light, and it will grow very well. Also pay attention to removing weeds. Overall, the care is still relatively simple.