Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata): Ubiquitous Weed with Medicinal Merit

Overview

Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata), also called narrowleaf plantain, is a pervasive perennial weed of lawns, paths, and disturbed soils worldwide. It forms a basal rosette of long, narrow, ribbed leaves and sends up leafless stalks topped with dense, cylindrical spikes of tiny brownish flowers with prominent white stamens.

Botanical Details

• Family: Plantaginaceae
• Genus: Plantago
• Species: lanceolata
• Synonyms: Plantago altissima, Plantago lanceolata var. sphaerostachya

Uses & Management

Young leaves are edible (bitter, nutritious) cooked or raw. Seeds are a source of psyllium fiber. Medicinally, leaves contain aucubin and allantoin—used topically for insect bites, stings, wounds, and internally for respiratory and digestive ailments. In lawns, tolerate or remove manually; deep taproot makes eradication difficult. Indicates compacted soil.