Common Plantain, Cart Track Plant, White Man's Foot, Plantain
Plantago major
Family: Plantaginaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Irregular or sprawling.
Plantago major is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to September, and the seeds ripen from July to October. 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), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.1
Where it is found
A common garden weed, particularly in lawns. Rarely in grassy places.
Most of Europe, including Britain, to northern and central Asia.
Conservation Status: Status: Least Concern
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Burma, Canada, Central America, China, Cuba, Denmark, East Africa, Ecuador, Estonia, Europe, France, Greece, Guiana, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Italy, Haiti, Laos, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mediterranean, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South Africa, Southern Africa, St Lucia, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Tasmania, Tonga, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Young leaves - raw or cooked. They are rather bitter and tedious to prepare because the fibrous strands need to be removed before use. It is best not to use the leaf-stalk since this is even more fibrous than the leaf. Many people blanch the leaves in boiling water before using them in salads in order to make them more tender. A Chinese form has more palatable leaves - it contains about 2.7% protein, 0.4% fat, 2.2% ash. Seed - raw or cooked. Very tedious to harvest. The seed can be ground into a meal and mixed with flour. It is very rich in vitamin B1. The whole seeds can be boiled and used like sago. The dried leaves make an acceptable tea. Root. No further details.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 3
Common plantain is a safe and effective treatment for bleeding, it quickly staunches blood flow and encourages the repair of damaged tissue. The leaves are astringent, demulcent, deobstruent, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, haemostatic and refrigerant. Internally, they are used in the treatment of a wide range of complaints including diarrhoea, gastritis, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, haemorrhage, haemorrhoids, cystitis, bronchitis, catarrh, sinusitis, asthma and hay fever. They are used externally in treating skin inflammations, malignant ulcers, cuts, stings etc. The heated leaves are used as a wet dressing for wounds, swellings etc. The root is a remedy for the bite of rattlesnakes, it is used in equal portions with Marrubium vulgare. The seeds are used in the treatment of parasitic worms. 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. A distilled water made from the plant makes an excellent eye lotion.
Antidote: Counters poisoning.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Demulcent: Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.
Deobstruent: Clears obstructions from the natural ducts of the body.
Depurative: Eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Refrigerant: Cools the body.
Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.
Other
Rating: 3
Some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value. An important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies. Special Features: Edible, Naturalizing, Suitable for dried flowers. 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.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in a sunny position. Although this species is a common garden weed, some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value.
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: Lawn; Meadow;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 3-12
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
High doses may cause a fall in blood pressure and diarrhoea. Possible allergic contact dermatitis. Avoid in patients with intestinal obstruction or abdominal discomfort .
Its other names
Local names
Common Plantain, Cart Track Plant, White Man's Foot Plantain, Plantain, Rat's Tails, Travellers Foot, Waybread, Cuckoo's Bread, Bolila ba lipoli, Broad-leafed plantain, Che qian, Cheuli, Daun sejumbok, Daun sendok, Ekur anjing, Ghuzbe, Gul, Isafghol, Karet, Kel-ba-an, Ki arut, Kopakopa, Llanten, Luhuriya, Ma de, Nido marto, Orecchie d'asino, Plantain, Pulung nyang, Sangka-buwah, Sangkubah, Teeleht, Tirafilo, Yempat, al-hamal al-kabeer, al-hazaza, bakayaprok, baltang, bartang, bokvica, breitwegerich, broad plantain, broad- plantain, broad-leaf plantain, broad-leaved plantain, broadleaf plantain, buckhorn plantain, buzchi, cart-track plant, charghoon, che qian cuo, chon baka zhalbyrak, common plantain, da che qian, folia plantaginis majoris, general plantain, grand plantain, great plantain, greater plantain, groblad, gros plantain, gula, khargholah, lahuriya, lantana-maior, large plantain, lisan abu al-a’meel, lisan al-hamal, llanten, llantén, llantén común, llantén major, llsan-ui-hamal, masasah, piantaggine, plantago major, plantain, plantain grand, plantain majeur, podorozhnik bol'shoy, podorožnik bol'šoj, ripple grass, rippleseed plantain, tanchagem, tanchagem-maior, warak saboun lisan al-kalb, waybread, wegerich, white-man's-foot, zanbul far, zanbul yarbooa, zupturoom, ženska bokvica.
Synonyms
Plantago borysthenica. Plantago dregeana. Plantago latifolia. Plantago sinuata.