All plants /Ground /Broadleaf Plantain
Broadleaf Plantain
Plantago major, plantain family. Abundant in East and Central and West Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Young leaves; seeds
- How
- Young leaves raw or cooked; seeds as a psyllium-like fiber
- When
- Most of the growing season
- Where
- Lawns, paths, compacted ground everywhere
- Value
- Vitamins A, C, K; the seed is a fiber source
Caution: A safe, mild, extremely common plant. Take young leaves, and harvest away from sprayed lawns. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
A flat rosette of oval leaves with strong parallel veins that string like celery when you tear one, and a slim seed spike up the middle. Not the banana.
Uses
The youngest leaves are a mild salad green; older ones cook down. The seed is the same family as store-bought psyllium fiber, and the crushed leaf is a famous field poultice for stings.
Photo: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.