Plantago psyllium
Family: Plantaginaceae
Annual. Native to the Mediterranean. This is the main official
species, grown extensively in East India and sold across the continents,
ending up in numerous domestic colon-cleansing products as Psyllium seed
or husk powder. It is an excellent source of cholesterol-fighting
fiber, and effectively bulks the stools, helping dispel toxins and improve
regularity. Must be taken with plenty of water! Organic field
cultivation of Psyllium is a wide-open opportunity for American farmers,
to supplant the often rancid foreign-grown material with freshly grown,
certified organic American-grown seed. Cultivation: The plants
can be started in the greenhouse in April, transplanted out at 1
foot spacing in the middle of May and harvested by combine around the middle
of August. In warmer areas, it can be direct-seeded in the field
in midspring. We grow it with unfailing success here in Southern
Oregon. I think there has been a stigma surrounding this herb, falsely
suggesting that it can only be grown in the tropics, which has effectively
prevented Americans from experimenting with the crop. Most commercially
supplied seed has been rendered sterile by heating or fumigation, and therefore
cannot be used as planting stock. This is fertile seed from our own
farm. The plant grows 1 to 3 feet tall.
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