Plant ID Pages

Plant ID Pages

Plant ID Pages

Hummingbird moth with bee balm blossom
Hummingbird moth with bee balm blossom

Plantain (Plantago spp.)


Sidewalk savior. Bug bite balm. Medicine underfoot.

What It Is


Plantain is a hardy, low-growing plant that thrives in lawns, cracks, and trailside soils. Its broad or narrow leaves grow in a rosette and can be eaten or applied topically. A longtime ally for stings, wounds, and digestive support, plantain is one of the most useful “weeds” underfoot.


Sidewalk savior. Bug bite balm. Medicine underfoot.

What It Is


Plantain is a hardy, low-growing plant that thrives in lawns, cracks, and trailside soils. Its broad or narrow leaves grow in a rosette and can be eaten or applied topically. A longtime ally for stings, wounds, and digestive support, plantain is one of the most useful “weeds” underfoot.

Use It Like This

Leaves

  • Add young greens to soups or stir-fries.

  • Blend with lemon juice and honey for a soothing syrup.

  • Simmer into tea for digestive irritation.


Seeds

  • Collect late-season seeds as a natural fiber aid.

  • Stir into oats or stews for extra bulk.


Tip: Chew a fresh leaf and apply directly to a mosquito bite — quick relief within minutes.

Harvest Notes

  • Harvest young leaves; older ones become stringy and bitter.

  • Found almost everywhere — but avoid sprayed lawns, heavy foot traffic, or roadside edges.

  • Look for distinct parallel veins and a smooth, elastic leaf texture.


Wild Pantry Snapshot


Plantain is humble, healing, and always nearby. From first-aid poultices to nourishing greens, this plant is worth knowing well.

Harvest Notes

  • Harvest young leaves; older ones become stringy and bitter.

  • Found almost everywhere — but avoid sprayed lawns, heavy foot traffic, or roadside edges.

  • Look for distinct parallel veins and a smooth, elastic leaf texture.


Wild Pantry Snapshot


Plantain is humble, healing, and always nearby. From first-aid poultices to nourishing greens, this plant is worth knowing well.

Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.