How to Grow Plantain (Plantago spp.)
This article is part of our “How to Grow Herbs” series. If you would like to learn more about how to work with this plant after you harvest it, please refer to our Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™ here.
When I was a kid, my family would drive from southern California to Washington each summer to visit my grandparents and aunts and uncles. We would stay at my Gran's house and spend the days playing hide-and-seek in her secret-garden-like yard (it was beautiful), racing handmade boats down the irrigation ditch that ran through it. I would come inside for supper in the evenings covered in mosquito bites. I have a love-hate relationship with the pesky things - I hate them and they love me. Unfortunately, I am allergic to their bites and they always seemed to outmaneuver repellents, so their bites would turn into giant purple welts on my skin. I carried that allergy into my adulthood and plantain is the one plant that I have found to truly be effective for relieving the discomfort and swelling their bites cause. I like to make a leaf poultice and apply it to the bite to help relieve the itching and discomfort of the bites.
Plantain (Plantago spp.), not to be confused with the banana-like tropical plant, is a leafy green, low-growing “weed” that often grows in lawns, pathways, and even sometimes through cracks in the concrete. It was brought to North America by the Europeans and loves to grow in areas where people walk and the soil has been compacted, thus earning its nickname, “white man’s footprint.”
Growth Habit
In areas where grass is regularly mown or the vegetation is trampled, the plants can be quite short, sometimes not even passing the height of the grass. I think they work quite well in a biodiverse lawn. However, I have also seen plants grow quite large when allowed to grow without regular mowing and when given good quality soil in which to grow. One of the largest P. major plants I have ever seen was one that I saw growing whilst visiting Goodwin Creek Gardens a few years ago. The leaves were the size of salad plates! The P. lanceolata I grow in a raised bed can also get quite large, as you can see in the photo above.
When the plants flower, they send up tall, straight flower spikes with tiny little cream-colored blooms at the end and those spikes can reach 18” or more in height (about 45 cm).
Growing Conditions
The plants are quite hardy and will survive in areas as cold as USDA zone 3 but they do usually die back to the ground in the winter and return in spring. To grow them, sow the seeds on the surface of the soil, lightly press them into the soil, water gently and monitor until they sprout, at which point you can thin them out or transplant them into the garden. They will do well in sun or part shade.
Several different species of plantain are worked with in the herbal tradition. The primary species that grow in my region are Plantago major (broad-leaved plantain), Plantago lanceolata (narrow-leaved plantain) and Plantago ovata (psyllium). You might recognize the latter as the psyllium husk that many people know as a dietary fiber supplement. The mucilaginous seeds are what are worked with from this variety but for the other two, the main plant part we work with in the apothecary is the leaf and both species’ leaves are used interchangeably.
Plantain leaves, regardless of variety, have distinct parallel veins that can help you identify the plant. If you were to pull on one of them from the base of the leaf, you would find that you could pull the white thread out of the vein. I have heard some herbalists speak of using this thread as dental floss or to tie a plantain leaf bandage in place – both very clever uses! These veins are the reason why some people have nicknamed the plants ribwort. As the season progresses and the weather warms, the plants become more fibrous. I prefer to harvest their leaves earlier in the season when the leaves are still lush and supple. The roots are also useful and are a bit stronger than the leaves.
Growing from Seed
Plantain is easy to grow from seed. Truthfully, I rarely do more than just scatter the seed in the area where I want it to grow. It seems to sprout reliably without difficulty each year. You could also start the seeds indoors if you wish. Barely cover the seeds with a light layer of soil and keep in a warm area with the soil evenly moist until the seeds sprout. Transplant the seedlings into the garden once they have a few sets of true leaves.
Learning More
If you would like to learn more about how to work with aromatic plants, I hope you will join me in our Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™ here at Floranella! In it, I teach students how to safely and effectively work with over 100 different herbs as well as their applicable essential oils and hydrosols from the garden to the still to the apothecary. I hope to see you in class one day!
About the Author
Hi there, I’m Erin! I am the main instructor here at Floranella. I am a clinical herbalist, aromatherapist, artisan distiller and organic gardener based in the Pacific Northwest. Here at Floranella, I teach people how to work with plants safely and effectively from the garden to the apothecary. Thanks for being here! I’m glad you stopped by.
