Greater plantain

How to recognise it

Habit

Low perennial rosette plant; the leaves lie flat or angle upwards. Flower stems 10–40 cm tall.

Leaf

Broadly oval to almost round, 5–20 cm, hairless or slightly hairy, with a long, grooved stalk. Five to nine prominent parallel veins run from base to tip.

Flower

Long, narrow, cylindrical spike with hundreds of tiny greenish-brown flowers; the anthers are lilac at first, later yellowish brown. June to October. Wind-pollinated.

Fruit/Seed

Small capsules that open at the top like a lid, with several brown seeds. Wet seeds turn slimy and sticky and cling to soles, paws and tyres.

Roots

Short, thick rootstock with a bundle of strong fibrous roots that reach deep: hard to pull out.

Confusion with

Ribwort plantain has long, narrow leaves and a short, dense spike on a long, furrowed stalk. Hoary plantain has grey-green, hairy leaves pressed flat on the ground and pinkish, scented spikes; it is fairly rare and grows on chalky soil.

Flowering: June–October · Pruning: March and August

Why grow it?

• Finches, sparrows and other seed-eaters strip the ripe spikes until late autumn.
• The leaves feed the caterpillars of several moths, such as the garden tiger.
• It grows where almost nothing else will: on trodden paths, between paving and on compacted soil, keeping the ground covered.
• A true follower of people: where we walk, greater plantain follows. It tells you a lot about how a place is used.
• Young leaves are edible, if rather tough; in the past the leaves were laid on small cuts and blisters.
• The seed spikes are still a treat for cage birds such as canaries.

Greater plantain: where does it grow best?

• In the wild: paths, farm tracks, yards, grazed pastures, lawns, field edges and waste ground; anywhere the ground is walked or driven on.
• Likes fertile, moist to fairly dry soil and tolerates compaction and brief flooding.
• Sun or partial shade; in deep shade it stays small and hardly flowers.
• In the garden: in a grass or gravel path, between paving or stepping stones, in a closely mown lawn edge or on a play area.
• In tall, unmown grassland it disappears: it cannot compete with tall plants.

Goes well with

• Daisy: Flowers for months in the same short grass and also tolerates trampling.
• White clover: Fills gaps in lawns and paths and attracts bees and bumblebees.
• Selfheal: Purple flowers low in the grass, even with close mowing.
• Ribwort plantain: Its relative of less trampled grassland; together they feed caterpillars and birds.
• Bugle: Blue flower spikes in May, in a moist lawn edge kept short.

Greater plantain: when and how to plant it?

1. Usually you need do nothing: greater plantain turns up by itself on trodden ground, because the seed is already in the soil or arrives on shoes.
2. If you do want to sow it, buy seed of native origin from a nursery or seed supplier specialising in wild plants.
3. Sow thinly in spring (March–May) or in September on loosened, weed-free soil and press the seed in well; barely cover it, as it germinates better in light.
4. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings appear, after 2–3 weeks. Thin to 15–20 cm apart.
5. Plant pot-grown plants in spring or autumn, 20 cm apart; water them in dry spells for the first few weeks.
6. Never dig up plants from the wild: even a common species should be left where it is, and seed or a nursery plant establishes better.

Care

Water

After planting, only in dry weather. Once established, its deep roots carry it through dry summers.

Feeding

Not needed. It grows naturally on fertile soil and needs no extra fertiliser.

Mowing

In a lawn or path, simply mow it with the grass: the rosette lies below the blade and regrows every time.

Spreading

If it grows where you don’t want it, lift the rosette with a narrow spade or weeding knife, with as much root as possible. On loose, untrodden soil it rarely takes over.

Self-seeding

Let a few spikes ripen for the birds. For fewer seedlings, cut the spikes off as soon as they turn brown.

Tip: Is there a trail of greater plantain across your lawn? The plant is showing you where a path belongs: lay stepping stones and let the plantain grow between them.

Pruning and mowing

Pruning months: March and August.

When: In August, cut off faded spikes if you want to limit self-seeding; otherwise leave them until March.

How:

• Cut the spikes off at the base with scissors; leave the rosette itself.
• For the birds, leave the spikes standing through autumn and winter and clear them in March.
• In a lawn, mowing at 4–6 cm is all it needs.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Collect ripe seed from August to October by stripping the brown spikes. Sow on the surface in spring or autumn and press in.

Division

Older plants with several rosettes can be split in spring with a sharp spade; each piece needs roots.

Greater plantain: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• In mild winters the rosette stays partly green; in hard frost the leaves die off and the plant regrows in April.
• The brown seed spikes stand well into winter and feed finches and sparrows.
• Fully hardy: frost down to −30 °C is no problem.

Diseases and pests

• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in dry late summers. Harmless; leave it or cut off the worst leaves.
• Too much in the lawn: Lots of plantain points to compacted soil. Aerate the soil, reduce trampling or lay a path where people walk.
• Seeds on shoes: The sticky seed travels to the vegetable garden and borders. Wipe your shoes and cut spikes along vegetable paths before they ripen.
• Fades out in long grass: It dwindles when tall plants overgrow it. Keep the spot short if you want it to stay.

Through the year

• March: Cut off old spikes. New leaves appear.
• April: Sow or plant. The rosettes grow quickly.
• May: Still time to sow. Mow lawns and paths.
• June: First spikes in flower. Look for the lilac anthers.
• July: Full flower. Water young plants in dry weather.
• August: First seed ripe. Cut the spikes if you don’t want seedlings.
• September: Collect seed. You can sow now too.
• October: Last flowers. Finches and sparrows feed on the spikes.
• November: The rosette stays green until the first frosts.
• December: Dormant. Leave the spikes for the birds.

Did you know?

• The Dutch name weegbree comes from Middle Dutch ‘wegebrede’, the broad leaf by the way. The Latin plantago is thought to come from planta, the sole of the foot, because the leaves lie flat on the ground.
• European settlers took it unintentionally to North America. Native Americans are said to have called it ‘white man’s footprint’.
• The seed turns slimy when wet and sticks to shoes, hooves and car tyres: that is how the plant travels with people and animals.