Buck's-Horn Plantain
Plantago coronopus
Family: Plantaginaceae
What it is like
Plantago coronopus is a ANNUAL/PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Sandy or gravelly soils and cracks in rocks, in sunny places in dry soils usually near the sea.
Coasts of west and south Europe, including Britain, south and east from Sweden to N. Africa, W. Asia
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Young leaves - raw or cooked. High yielding. One of the nicer tasting members of this genus, the leaves are fairly tender and have a slight bitterness. Some people blanch the leaves in boiling water for a few seconds before using them in salads in order to make them more tender. This leaf is one of the ingredients of 'misticanze', a salad mixture of wild and cultivated leaves that originated in the Marche region of Italy.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The leaves are antiperiodic and ophthalmic. They are used as a remedy for ague and sore eyes. Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage which swells up in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing irritated membranes. Sometimes the seed husks are used without the seeds.
Antiperiodic: Counteracts recurring illnesses such as malaria.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.
Other
Rating: 2
Dynamic accumulator.
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
How it is grown
Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in a sunny position. A polymorphic species. This plant has sometimes been cultivated for its edible leaves. An important food plant for many caterpillars.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. A sowing can be made outdoors in situ in mid to late spring if you have enough seeds.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual/Perennial
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist