The Herbarium
Print plate
Plantain botanical plate

Herb. No. 050 · Plantaginaceae

RangeFig. atlas
Approximate native range — a teaching atlas, not a survey

European yard weed, now a path-plant on every temperate continent.

Native · Europe

Native Also grownNow a garden plant worldwide
LegalGentleplant

Plantain

Plantago major

Medicinal herbsHarvest

The ribbed lawn weed you step on — a first-aid leaf for bites and scrapes.

Broadleaf and ribwort plantain are pan-global vulneraries. Crush a clean leaf on a sting or nettle burn. Internally the seed husk (psyllium is a cousin) is a bulk fiber. Identify the parallel ribs.

Flavor

Green, mushroomy, a little salty — a wild salad leaf when young.

Parts used

Leaf · Seed

Helpful

  • Everywhere
  • True first-aid plant

Cautions

  • Roadside plants collect exhaust
  • Seed husk needs water or it constipates

Field assistant

Ask about traditional use, safety, or the law. The assistant will not teach illegal cultivation or give medical orders.

Related symptoms

irritable skinminor woundscough

Teas with this plant

Remedies with this plant

  • Nettle before the season

    Adult: 1 tbsp dried nettle per 12 oz, once daily through the season. Elderflower: 1 tsp dried, 8 minutes, as needed. Not a substitute for epinephrine.

  • Calendula and aloe skin tray

    Thin film of calendula 2–3 times a day. Aloe: a clean inner-leaf smear, as needed. Compress: 10 minutes, then air-dry. Essential oil: one drop in a carrier, not a puddle.

  • Plantain on a sting

    One or two fresh leaves, as needed, a few applications. Not a dirty roadside leaf.

  • Goldenrod late-summer cup

    Adult: 1 tsp dried tops per 8 oz, 1–2 times a day through a known stretch, then stop.

Harvest this plant

When to cut, how to dry, and how to store it — garden and kitchen crops only.

Open harvest notes