Plant Details

Plantago major

Plantains

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Common names

109 names · 51 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Broad Leaf Plantain[1]
  • Broad-Leaf[1]
  • broad-leaved plantain[1]
+24 more namesShow fewer names
  • Broad-Leaved Ribwort[1]
  • broadleaf plantain[1]
  • cart track plant[1]
  • Cart-Track Plant[1]
  • common plantain[1]
  • dooryard plantain[1]
  • Great Plantain[1]
  • Greater Plaintain[1]
  • greater plantago[1]
  • greater plantain[1]
  • healing blade[1]
  • hen plant[1]
  • Large Plantain[1]
  • Larger Ribwort Plantain[1]
  • Plantains
  • Ribgrass[1]
  • Rippleseed Plantain[1]
  • roadweed[1]
  • roundleaf plantain[1]
  • waybread[1]
  • wayside plantain[1]
  • white man's foot[1]
  • white man's footprint[1]
  • White-Mans-Foot[1]
Other languages (50)
Dutch
  • Grote weegbree[1]
French
  • grand plantain[1]
  • Plantain majeur[1]
Afrikaans
  • breeblaar[1]
  • breeblaarplantago[1]
  • breėblaar[1]
+12 more namesShow fewer names
  • Breėblaar plantago[1]
  • Groot weebree[1]
  • groottongblaar[1]
  • grootweeblaar[1]
  • grootweegblaar[1]
  • grootweegbree[1]
  • grootweėblaar[1]
  • platvoet[1]
  • weegblaar[1]
  • weegbredie[1]
  • weegbredieblaar[1]
  • weegbree[1]
Belarusian
  • Трыпутнік вялікі[1]
Bulgarian
  • Голям живовлек[1]
Catalan
  • Plantatge gros[1]
Cherokee
  • ᎾᎾ ᎤᏕᏱᏘ[1]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 大车前[1]
  • 宽叶车前[1]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 大車前草[1]
  • 寬葉車前[1]
  • 田貫草[1]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
Cree
Czech
  • jitrocel větší[1]
Danish
  • Glat vejbred[1]
Downriver Halkomelem
  • sɬéwən ƛ̓ pipa:m[1]
Estonian
  • suur teeleht[1]
Faroese
  • stórvaksin gøtubrá[1]
Finnish
  • piharatamo[1]
German
  • Breitwegerich[1]
Greek
  • Πεντάνευρο το μεγάλο[1]
Hebrew
  • לחך גדול[1]
Hungarian
  • Nagy útifű[1]
  • Széles levelű útifű[1]
Indonesian
  • daun sendok[1]
Irish
  • Cuach Phádraig[1]
Italian
  • Piantaggine maggiore[1]
Japanese
  • オニオオバコ[1]
  • セイヨウオオバコ[1]
Korean
  • 왕질경이[1]
Latvian
  • Lielā ceļteka[1]
Lithuanian
  • Plačialapis gyslotis[1]
Mapuche
Mongolian
  • Их тавансалаа[1]
Norwegian
Ojibwe
  • Pakwan (Ceca'gûski'bûge'sînk, Jimûcki'gobûg)[1]
Polish
  • babka zwyczajna[1]
  • Plantago maior[1]
Portuguese
  • tanchagem[1]
  • Tanchagem-graúda[1]
  • tansagem[1]
Purepecha
  • uitsákua shipiati[1]
Romanian
  • Pătlagină mare[1]
Russian
  • Подорожник большой[1]
Serbian
  • Женска боквица[1]
Slovak
  • skorocel väčší[1]
Slovenian
  • veliki trpotec[1]
  • Širokolistni trpotec[1]
Sotho
Spanish
  • Cancerina euroasiática[1]
  • llantén[1]
  • llantén mayor[1]
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • Llantén rastrogero[1]
  • Siete venas[1]
Swedish
Thai
  • หญ้าเอ็นยืด[1]
Tojolabal
Totonaco
Turkish
Ukrainian
  • Подорожник великий[1]
Upriver Halkomelem
  • sxu’enhween[1]
Welsh
  • Llydan y ffordd[1]
Zulu
  • indlebe-ka-tekwane[1]
  • indlebe-kathekwana enku[1]
  • indlebe-kathekwane enkulu[1]
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Plantago major — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • greater plantain — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • amté — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Cancerina euroasiática — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • snok-tail — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • uitsákua shipiati — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Breitwegerich — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • groblad — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • daun sendok — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • llantén — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • 大車前草 — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • 車前草 — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • 田貫草 — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • grand plantain — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • piharatamo — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • לחך גדול — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • broad-leaved plantain — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • common plantain — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • broadleaf plantain — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • jitrocel větší — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • babka zwyczajna — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • tanchagem — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • tansagem — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Glat vejbred — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • suur teeleht — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • セイヨウオオバコ — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • white man's foot — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • white man's footprint — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • cart track plant — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • dooryard plantain — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • greater plantago — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • healing blade — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • hen plant — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • roadweed — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • roundleaf plantain — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • waybread — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • wayside plantain — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Подорожник большой — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • groblad — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Piantaggine maggiore — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Plačialapis gyslotis — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Grote weegbree — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Pakwan (Ceca'gûski'bûge'sînk, Jimûcki'gobûg) — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Llantén rastrogero — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Plantatge gros — results[0].names[46]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • 大车前 — results[0].names[47]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • オニオオバコ — results[0].names[48]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Plantain majeur — results[0].names[49]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Подорожник великий — results[0].names[50]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • skorocel väčší — results[0].names[51]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • llantén mayor — results[0].names[52]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Πεντάνευρο το μεγάλο — results[0].names[53]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • damarotu — results[0].names[54]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Их тавансалаа — results[0].names[55]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • stórvaksin gøtubrá — results[0].names[56]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • veliki trpotec — results[0].names[57]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Plantago maior — results[0].names[58]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Трыпутнік вялікі — results[0].names[59]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • breeblaar — results[0].names[60]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • breėblaar — results[0].names[61]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Breėblaar plantago — results[0].names[62]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • breeblaarplantago — results[0].names[63]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Groot weebree — results[0].names[64]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • groottongblaar — results[0].names[65]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • grootweeblaar — results[0].names[66]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • grootweėblaar — results[0].names[67]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • grootweegblaar — results[0].names[68]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • grootweegbree — results[0].names[69]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • platvoet — results[0].names[70]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • weegblaar — results[0].names[71]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • weegbredie — results[0].names[72]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • weegbredieblaar — results[0].names[73]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • weegbree — results[0].names[74]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Broad Leaf Plantain — results[0].names[75]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Broad-Leaf — results[0].names[76]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Broad-Leaved Ribwort — results[0].names[77]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Cart-Track Plant — results[0].names[78]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Great Plantain — results[0].names[79]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Greater Plaintain — results[0].names[80]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Large Plantain — results[0].names[81]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Ribgrass — results[0].names[82]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Rippleseed Plantain — results[0].names[83]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Larger Ribwort Plantain — results[0].names[84]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • White-Mans-Foot — results[0].names[85]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • bolila — results[0].names[86]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • indlebe-ka-tekwane — results[0].names[87]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • indlebe-kathekwane enkulu — results[0].names[88]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • indlebe-kathekwana enku — results[0].names[89]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Bodiba, Bodila — results[0].names[90]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • paswêpak — results[0].names[91]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • หญ้าเอ็นยืด — results[0].names[92]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • 왕질경이 — results[0].names[93]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Širokolistni trpotec — results[0].names[94]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Голям живовлек — results[0].names[95]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Nagy útifű — results[0].names[96]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Pătlagină mare — results[0].names[97]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Széles levelű útifű — results[0].names[98]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Lielā ceļteka — results[0].names[99]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • ᎾᎾ ᎤᏕᏱᏘ — results[0].names[100]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Cuach Phádraig — results[0].names[101]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Tanchagem-graúda — results[0].names[102]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Llydan y ffordd — results[0].names[103]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Женска боквица — results[0].names[104]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Pintra — results[0].names[105]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • Siete venas — results[0].names[106]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • 寬葉車前 — results[0].names[107]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • 宽叶车前 — results[0].names[108]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • sɬéwən ƛ̓ pipa:m — results[0].names[109]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.
  • sxu’enhween — results[0].names[110]; taxon id 58961; Plantago major.

General information

Scientific name: Plantago major
Accepted name (Kew): Plantago major L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Botanical family: Plantaginaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Plantago (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Plantains
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.10 m
Spread: 0.10 m
Growth rate: Moderate
Sources [2]
Foliage: None
Growth habit: Clumping, Dense, Mounding, Multi-stemmed, Oval, Prostrate, Rounded

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [2]
Life cycle: Perennial
Sources [2]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [2]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Occasionally Wet

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [2]
Soil:
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt)
Sources [2]
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [2]

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Root, Seed, Tea
Edibility rating:
(2)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Bee forage

Description

Young leaves can be eaten both raw and cooked, but due to their bitterness and fibrous strands, they must be carefully prepared. It is recommended to blanch the leaves in boiling water before adding them to salads, as this improves the texture. The petiole contains more fiber than the leaf and is therefore usually not eaten. The dried leaves can be used to make tea. An alternative Chinese variant of this plant is easier to eat. Seeds can be eaten both raw and cooked and are very nutritious due to their high vitamin B1 content. Although harvesting the seeds can be challenging, they can be ground into flour and mixed with other flour, or cooked and used as sago. There is less known about the edibility of the root of this plant.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/05
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 300239; name ID 2556648; Plantago L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 317440; name ID 2569743; Plantago major L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Plantago major — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: Growth rateGrowth habitLife cycleLightSoil moistureSoil textureUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .