Plants as an anchor for travel…

Travel can be very stimulating and disorienting.

 When we traverse different lands we are exposing our bodies and senses to new environments, time zones, climates, and cultures. This can uproot our routines, and if we are not careful bring us out of our body. 

As a traveler I have seen this dichotomy myself. The way that some get lost in this “nomadic” illusion and lose themselves in the travel. Forgetting the value of a root system, and uprooting themselves time and time again. I call this the spiral traveler. This travel is done in a grasping and seeking manner, hoping that each place they visit will make them feel whole- and then when it doesn’t; fleeing for somewhere new. 

I’ve seen this slippery slope first hand and know how dysregulating it can for the nervous system and for one's mental health. I myself, have almost been pulled into this illusion. Until I remembered the importance of my root system. And how crucial it is to deeply nourish that root system. 

So these days, travels looks different for me. It has become woven into the tapestry of my daily life. I bring my routines with me & then- I come home. Easing right back into my rituals and routines that nourish me. 

One of the travel practices I have that serves as an anchor for me, is getting to know my environment. In a new place there will be many plants and animals I don’t know. So what I do first is look for plants that I do know. 

I look for patterns in the environment and look to see what medicine and food is growing around me. I find this to be a very grounding ritual that connects me to self & to my root system. 

Two of the plants that I often look for first when I am traveling The Americas, are dandelion and plantain. 

These are two plants you can find amongst various landscapes of the Americas and Eurasia. Where I can’t find dandelion I often find plantago. Whether that be the narrow leaf or broad leaf plantain.

And in many locations- I can find and identify both of these plants. 

To me there is nothing more empowering than knowing how to identify medicine and food in your environment. And this is why I find it to be such a grounding travel practice that really serves as an anchor for connection. 

Let’s talk about why both of these plants are such versatile medicine!

Dandelion or taraxacum officinale is potent herbal medicine as well as nutrient rich food. Almost all of the parts of this plant are edible, including the roots, flower stems, leavers, flower buds and crowns. The roots make strong medicine for supporting stagnation. They help to move waste through the body by stimulating bile production and supporting the liver. The roots are also a blood and lymphatic cleanser- further supporting the natural removal of toxins that is passed through excretion. 

The roots can be boiled in a decoction to make an infusion. Since this is a heartier plant part we boil this medicine longer to really get the most out of it. You can take some of your rinsed root and boil it in water- reducing the liquid until it is half gone. Then you can strain out or remove your plant material for a potent liver supporting medicine. 

The leaves of dandelion are extremely bitter and also help to promote the production of bile. A process that is crucial in the elimination of waste and lubrication of the gastrointestinal tract. 

The leaves are also very nutritive. These nourishing leaves can be used in salads or cooked down and blanched. They are extremely bitter so a very little goes a long way. 

I have even seen people make noodles out of the flower stems, and tea out of the flowers. 

The tap roots of taraxacum officinale dig deep into the earth absorbing nutrients from the soil making it a natural prebiotic, packed with inulin. 

This can be very helpful during travel when digestion is often trying to acclimate to new microbes. 

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As for plantain we see two types of plantago all around The Americas. We see the broad leaf plantain (plantago major) & narrow leaf plantain (plantago lanceolata) in disturbed fields.

Broad leaf plantain gets it name from the shape of its leaves- which are spoon like. The narrow leaf plantain has very long, narrow leaves. Each leaf from both varietals has these fiber like threads in the leaves. If you rip a leaf you will see these fibers expose themselves. 

This is a defining identification factor for plantago and also is known as one of the doctrine of signatures for this plant. 

The doctrine of signature is the concept that a plant has a physical signature that indicates their medicinal use. The threads point to plantago's ability to heal wounds.  

The leaves of plantago are an amazing vulnerary that can help to heal cuts, scrapes, burns and wounds. You can use your saliva to make a poultice out of the leaves if you have an injury you need to support and heal.

This plant is not only amazing externally but internally. The leaves can be supportive to different types of digestive upset that you may encounter while traveling. 

The seeds of plantago are high in fiber and can be harvested after the plant has gone to seed, and the seed tops start to dry out. Commercially plantago ovata is grown and harvested- and is where psyllium husk and metamucil comes from.

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These are just a few of the uses and herbal actions for dandelion and plantago and I am sure you can quickly see why these are such powerful plant allies to know and love. 

Next time you are abroad I invite you to look to your environment- what plants do you know and which plants are unfamiliar?

Can you take some time to get to know dandelion and plantain- so that the next time you are traveling you can feel empowered by the wisdom of nature. Knowing that if you need- there is food and medicine near you.