Plantain, Profile and Uses

This article comes from frugallivingontheranch.com

by watkinsranches

This is another one of the herbs that I like. It grows almost everywhere and was one of the first herbs I started using.

Habitat and Description

Plantain is a lot like dandelions, it is considered a weed, and it grows almost everywhere, in yards, fields, meadows, and roadsides.

It is native to Europe and parts of Asia but is said to have been introduced to North America when the settlers came from Europe.

Plantain is a low growing perennial plant the leaves are broad and oval shaped. The seeds and tiny flowers extend just about the full length of the spikes. Ribwort plantain leaves are narrower and the seeds and tiny flowers are at the end of the long stocks. The stocks holding the tiny flowers grow up from the roots. A sure way of identifying plantain is to take a close look at the leaves. The leaves have very strong and deep veins which extend in a vertical direction. If the veins of the leaves are in a horizontal direction it is not a plantain.

It also goes by the names English plantain, Englishman’s foot, white man’s footsteps, ripplegrass, snakeweed, Broad-leaved Plantain, Ribwort, narrow leaved plantain.

As with dandelions you need to be careful where you harvest it make sure it hasn’t been sprayed with anything and don’t collect from the roadside. Plantain can be harvested from spring to fall.

Read more here.