Wild ForageCaution

Broadleaf plantain

Plantago major

Also called: common plantain

Tough-veined weed rosette. Its main danger is first-year foxglove, which can look similar at a glance.

Broadleaf plantain: Whole plant — Whole plantPhoto: botanygirl · CC BY · source

Broadleaf plantain: Flower — FlowerPhoto: Cbaile19 · CC0 · source

Broadleaf plantain: Look-alike side by side. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), a toxic look-alike — Look-alike side by sideComfrey (Symphytum officinale), a toxic look-alikePhoto: Nathan Cobbett · CC0 · source

Confirm EVERY point before you eat it

Basal rosette of oval leaves with 3-7 prominent parallel veins running tip to base
Pull a leaf stem apart slowly: tough, celery-like strings stay attached
Leafless, slender flower spike rising from the center of the rosette (summer)
Leaf surface smooth to lightly hairy, never soft, felted or woolly

0 of 4 confirmed. If any point does not match, it is not this plant.

Look-alikes to rule out

Foxglove (first-year rosette)Toxic
Soft, downy, wrinkled leaves with scalloped edges and netted veins, no parallel ribs, no strings when torn. Heart-toxic.
See the card →
ComfreyToxic
Coarse, bristly-hairy leaves with one midrib and side veins, no parallel ribs. Contains liver-damaging alkaloids; not advised as food.

In season

Tender leaves in spring and early summer; older leaves get stringy.

Habitat

Compacted soil, paths, yard edges, garden margins.

Parts used

young leaves

Preparation and use

Young tender leaves raw or cooked; cook older leaves and remove the stringy ribs. The seeds are a fiber-rich food similar to psyllium.

Harvest note

Avoid paths, roadsides and pet areas.

Backpack Guide: Broadleaf Plantain — Positive ID →

Educational reference only. Never eat a wild plant or mushroom based on a website or app. Confirm with an experienced forager, your local extension office, or a mycological club. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 for severe symptoms.