#horehound in abundance out here near the #sacramentoriver! 🌿🌱
#wildforage #ethnobotany #plantmedicine #herbalplants #herbs

<Alt Text 1 of 4> The first thing you need to know is that the Plantains in this case belong to the Plantaginaceae family which is sometimes called the Plantain family, but more often is called the Veronica family. This means Plantains are directly related to more familiar plants such as Snapdragons, Foxglove and of course Speedwell/Veronica. The key identification features of a plantain are that their leaves have pronounced veins/ribs that go from the leaf stem to the leaf tip. The flowers are individually tiny and clustered in a spike at the tip of a long flower stem. Also they are usually perennials who bear their leaves in a basal arrangement and they will have a mostly fibrous root system. In some of the warmer parts of the United States eastern coast these plants can be evergreen but expect them to be deciduous in the colder climates. To start this quadruple feature let’s take a look at Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major). This scourge of the lawn care industry is about as wide spread as Dandelions which probably gives certain herbicide companies nightmares. Fortunately for us the Broadleaf Plantain is not poisonous, it’s not known to cause an allergic reaction and it seems to appear in specific areas such as in compacted soils or soils that have been disturbed. It’s tough and can withstand foot traffic and it has use as a colonizer in compacted soils because its roots can help slowly break hardpan. Broadleaf Plantain is a non-native perennial and since it is wind pollinated it doesn’t do much for pollinators. The leaves are edible in a similar way to spinach but older leaves require cooking and thus are better for soups. The leaves are known to be high in Vitamin A, C and K as well as in Calcium. The seeds and boy does this plant make a lot of those (up to 20,000 per plant!), can be dried then ground up to make a wilderness equivalent to flour. You can cultivate this plant as a potted green, but remember, go easy on the fertilizers. <Alt Text 1 of 4>

<Alt Text 2 of 4> Next we have Buckhorn Plantain (P. lanceolata), which while still not native to North America is more common in the southeast than Broadleaf Plantain. This plant is commonly found in open areas with some level of soil disturbance and as such it will appear in your garden in dry sandy places. You might see this one a lot in highway medians where there are lawn areas. Buckhorn Plantain will also appear in high density in any place where ungulates graze and turn the soil with their hooves. What makes this plant different then Broadleaf Plantain is it’s long narrow leaves which gives the plant its name as the leaves bow at odd angles making the plant look somewhat like a buck’s antlers. Buckhorn plantain can be used in all the same ways as Broadleaf Plantain, but it does not favor sites with compacted soil. For note I maintain a few of these herbs in the test gardens and they are spared being mowed and have formed a pretty good colony over the years. <Alt Text 2 of 4>

<Alt Text 3 of 4> Third on the list is Wright’s Plantain (P. wrightiana), which well looking at the picture some of you reading this might be thinking ‘heeeey that’s the same as before!” I can assure you it’s a very similar at a glance to Buckhorn Plantain but it is a different plant. Wright’s Plantain for one is an annual. Beyond this there are the physical features that define it as different from its cousin, such as how the flower heads are a gray-white with pale green color, sometimes the flower clusters nod like in the picture and sometimes they stick straight up. The big giveaway is when you look down on a Wright’s Plantain, the leaves are very straight looking and radiate outward from the crown almost like a depiction of the sun and its rays of light from antiquity. The leaves are less likely to bow in the middle like they are with Buckhorn Plantain. Thankfully this plant is still as edible as its cousins and in all the same ways. <Alt Text 3 of 4>

<Alt Text 4 of 4> Last but not least we have Hare Foot Plantain (P. lagopus). The specimen I found had really long flower stalks, and this is not normal for this plant. The specimen photographed was found beside the Interstate in Fayetteville, and it was showing the standard biological response to being mowed. Plantains are very good at surviving being mowed as they adapt by putting out leaves lower to the ground and longer flower stalks. Hare Foot Plantain is a non-native annual that is best identified by its leaf shape which can resemble broadleaf plantain but stretched out to an almost spatulate shape. Also, this plantain is known for having fuzzy flower clusters that turn a slivery-gray color after the flowers have faded. Hare Foot Plantain can be used in all the same ways as the other ones listed. <Alt Text 4 of 4>

The Wild Harvest Digest: May 2025, #4

Good Morning Neighbors,

Today I have a surprise for all you readers out there, today we are going to talk about four wild plants of the week all at once. Today's plants are all Plantains. #Plantains #WildForage

Happy Earth Day !
My first ramps of the season.
#EarthDay2025
#WildForage
#MorelMushroomHunting
#PureMichigan