Plantago lanceolata
Plantain
Common names: Lance-leaved plantain, Snake tongue
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 20 cm, rows 25 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Sowing
- Apr, May, Sep
- Harvest
- May–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Water need
- Low
- For children
- Well suited
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: sannse · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Plantain with its narrow, lance-shaped leaves is a hardy wild herb that thrives almost everywhere. The young leaves taste slightly bitter and peppery in salads. When dried they can be used to make a mild tea and are a reliable perennial guest in natural gardens.
Care instructions
Sow from April in a shallow bed or simply place it in a sunny to partially shaded spot where it will self-establish. It requires little water and no fertilization. Harvest the young leaves continuously from the rosette, and it will regrow tenderly again.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May, Sep
HarvestMay–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 8 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
sandy, loamy, well-drained, lean, nutrient-rich
Ribwort plantain is very tolerant of soil: it grows on sandy to loamy ground, as long as the soil is well-drained and no waterlogging occurs; it tolerates lean and more nutrient-rich soils alike. Loosen heavy clay soils best with sand.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
In spring, before new growth, work a thin layer of mature compost shallowly into the soil or lay it on as mulch. This supplies the plant for the whole season. Ribwort plantain needs no more; too much nitrogen makes it lush and rather reduces leaf quality. On very lean soils, diluted nettle liquid helps if growth is sluggish.
Overwintering
Ribwort plantain is a native, perennial wild herb and needs no winter protection in the lowlands of Central Europe. The leaf rosettes stay green over winter and shoot again by themselves in spring. In autumn, cut off the spent seed heads if you want to limit self-seeding.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Division
The easiest way to propagate ribwort plantain is by sowing. Sow the seeds directly outdoors from mid-April into summer, in a sunny to partly shaded spot in loose, slightly moist soil. Ribwort plantain is a light germinator: just press the seeds down or cover them with a very thin layer of soil, and do not sow them deep. Alternatively, start them indoors and prick the young plants out into their own pots as soon as they have formed the second pair of true leaves. Under favourable conditions the species self-seeds abundantly, so a stand builds up by itself if you wish. The second practical method is division: in spring or autumn, carefully lift an older clump, divide the root stock with a sharp spade or knife and replant the pieces straight away. Water well afterwards. Division is needed less often, but it works reliably, because the plant also regrows from basal shoots. Cuttings are unusual with this herbaceous species and not recommended. Sowing and division get you there faster and more safely.
For your garden
Grow Plantain yourself
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