WILD FOODIES' HOME PAGE
PLANT PROFILE LIST

 

  Ribwort 600.jpg    Plantago lanceolata6 ies.jpg 

 

NAME: Narrowleaf Plantain

LATIN NAME / FAMILY:  Plantago Lanceolata / Plantaginaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Ribwort, English Plantain, and Lamb's Tongue

CONDITIONS: sun / well-drained soil
 

PARTS:

EDIBLE cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

TASTE

RAW/COOK

SEASON

All

  

 

 

 

Shoots

 

 

 

 

Leaves

mushroom

RAW/COOK

Spring-Fall

Buds/Flowers

mushroom

RAW/COOK

Spring-Summer

Fruits

 

 

 

 

Roots

        

Seeds

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

 mushroom

 RAW/COOK

Spring-Summer

Nuts

 

 

 

 

Pods

 

 

 

 

Stalk

 

 

 

 

Bark

 

 

 

 

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT/CAUTION: Plantains are the most important and abundant of all medicinal and edible herbs for external and internal wounds. Tastes like mushrooms. Eat young leafs and green seed heads (raw or cooked). Dry leaves and crumble for year-around use or to cook more easily, otherwise old leafs do not break down easily, even after extensive boiling. Dry carefully, not close to heat source. Plant color when dry should remain green, not brown. Unlike broadleaf plantain, narrowleaf is easier to transplant and grow inside, plus it survives through most of the winter.

 

CAUTION: It is drying to the skin and for those on blood thinners, it is a coagulant.

 

NUTRITION / MEDICINAL:  https://lusaorganics.typepad.com/clean/2015/07/wonderfully-wild-plantain.html // Antibacterial;  Antidote;  Astringent;  Demulcent;  Expectorant;  Haemostatic;  Laxative (seeds);  Ophthalmic; Poultice. (1) It is a blood coagulant, useful for abrasions outside and inside of the body, but not to use internally for those who need blood thinners.

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  Broadleaf Plantain http://www.wildfoodies.org/Plantain,Broadleaf.htm (related)

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES: bandaid, poultice, fiber could be used to to sew up wounds, can be used in bath (but using too much can be drying to the skin). For bath, put leaf the size of a quarter in blender with water, then sieve out the fiber.  Hair will be easier to control and feel fuller. // The root can also be used medicinally. (1)

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

  1. https://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Plantago+lanceolata

  2. http://www.eattheweeds.com/?s=Plantago+lanceolate+

  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_lanceolata 

  4. http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/plantin.html  (good photos)

  5. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Plantago_lanceolata (lots of photos)

  6. https://thenorthwestforager.com/2015/05/08/narrowleaf-plantain-cooking-with-forage (recipes)

  7. http://www.juliasedibleweeds.com/edible-weeds-flowers/all-about-plantain (recipes)

  8. https://nittygrittylife.com/plantain-herbal-drawing-salve (salve)