How many times have you gone to tend to your lawn or garden and just went weed-pulling crazy? It’s easy to spot anything that looks like it’s interfering with your outdoor aesthetic and yank it up. But it’s important to know the difference between weeds that serve no purpose—and the leaves that actually do.

There’s one particular weed that’s gaining a lot of attention right now because of its slew of benefits. People pull them out of their garden all the time without thinking about it, but it’s important to know all the good it can do.

It’s called Broadleaf or Broadleaf Plantain, which most often grows alongside dandelions in rocky soil, like driveways or sidewalks. If you see this plant, the last thing you want to do is discard them. They have a ton of awesome health benefits!

Broadleaf, or Broadleaf Plantains, has been around since the 1600s and has been touted as an amazing remedy for anything from curing the plain of bee stings and bug bites, to helping clear up acne, to stopping bleeding from cuts. It even provides nutritional benefits as well (that’s right, you can eat it).

How to use Broadleaf or Broadleaf Plantain to your advantage

When you see Broadleaf, take all that you can get. Then, first things first, you’ll want to make a poultice. You can do this by crushing the leaves between your palms or pounding them with a stone. You can also chew the leaves if you’re using it on yourself. Then place the poultice directly over the affected area. You can also cover it with a Band-Aid or bandage over it for anywhere from four to 12 hours.

How does it work? The leaf naturally draws toxins from your body to stop itching from bug bites, the sting from a bee sting, and can even draw out poison from snake bites. And, due to its awesome anti-inflammatory properties, the weed will work its magic to soothe the pain and reduce swelling and redness.

Another thing you can use Broadleaf for is any type of fresh cut; it will magically stop bleeding and can even halt the cause of infection from occurring. Really, it can help most open sores heal. Other treatments Broadleaf can be useful for include boils, acne, sunburn, hemorrhoids, and even poison ivy or oak. Just apply the poultice to the infected areas and prepare to be amazed.

Besides being able to cure exterior issues, Broadleaf can help you on the inside too. It’s said that consuming the mixture before meals may aid in losing weight. It also works wonders for your digestive system and help you find relief from gastrointestinal inflammation. It can improve liver and kidney function, help you get over symptoms of cold, flu, and respiratory infections…heck, it can even rid you of mouth ulcers after a few swishes or get rid of dandruff or other scalp issues with a quick application.

To consume, you can steep the leaves as tea or add it to stews and soups. You can also remove the seeds and ground them up or soak them.

So the next time you see this “weed,” you can pluck it, but only if you’re going to use it to benefit your health. It has way too many benefits to just be thrown away!

Have you ever seen this plant before? Have you ever used Broadleaf Plantain to better your health?