Edible plant - novice Season - spring to autumn Common names Ribwort plantain, narrowleaf plantain, English plantain, buckhorn, lamb's tongue, ribleaf
Scientific name meaning: Plantago is from the generic Latin term for this genus. Lanceolata is also Latin and means spear-like, referring to the leaves
Habitat  Found in grassland, on wasteground and on roadsides. It particularly likes ground that has been disturbed/churned up by grazing animals. It is not fond of very acid soils. |
Overall structure  Ribwort plantain forms a rosette of basal leaves. If in an area that is not mowed/grazed, the leaves stand erect, if the area is regularly mowed/grazed, they lie flat to the ground. In summer, it produces flower stalks that can reach 40 cm in height. |
Leaves  The bright-green leaves are narrow and lance-shaped. On their undersides they have three to five (3 - 5) raised parallel ribs. The leaf stalk is very short. |
Stem  The stem can reach 40cm and is deeply grooved. |
Flowers  Emerging in spring to summer, the inflorescence is a grey-brown coloured spike at the top of the flower stalk, from which the individual brownish-white flowers emerge on their own tiny stalks. |
Seeds  The spherical seeds are covered in a brown husk. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with hoary plantain (Plantago media) or greater plantain (Plantago major), but both of these have much wider leaves. Neither are poisonous.
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Use as a food The unopened flower heads can be eaten raw and have a taste reminiscent of raw button mushrooms. The leaves are edible but are bitter and it is best to remove the thick ribs. They can be dehydrated to create a stock. The seeds can be ground into a flour or cooked Use in herbal medicine and medicine Ribwort plantain has been used as an antibiotic, antihistamine, styptic, haemostatic and astringent. In addition, it has been used to treat chest, gastric and eye conditions; constipation, irritated mucus membranes and muscles; stings, haemorrhoids; cystitis, and internal parasites, and as part of a snake bite treatment.
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner.
Hazards None known
Other uses Can be used to make dye, clothing starch and cordage Importance to other species Provides food for birds, moths, hoverflies and butterflies, including the rare Glanville fritillary, whose caterplillars feed on its leaves
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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