Once you learn about its many uses as an edible herb, however, you may come to view it a little differently. You’ll soon begin to see plantain more as a harvestable crop than a pernicious weed. Should you want to deliberately cultivate plantain, harvest the seed heads to plant in spring, in whatever area of your garden where you want to establish an ongoing crop. Otherwise, the simple act of routinely hand-weeding your lawn can produce all the plantain you want for the table. If you notice any side effects or symptoms after eating broadleaf plantain, it could be an allergic reaction, and you should discontinue use.
Selecting a Planting Site
If you do wish to deliberately plant it, small plants can be dug up from the lawn and transplanted to your designated garden spot. Or, harvest seed heads from lawn weeds and plant them where you want them to grow. There are virtually no serious pests or diseases that will affect your crop of broadleaf plantain. The more common problem is limiting its spread, which you can do by clipping off the flower spikes before they can set seed.
Broadleaf Plantain Care
Light
Broadleaf plantain prefers full sun, but will also grow well in part shade conditions.
Soil
As befits a plant with a reputation as a weed, broadleaf plantain will grow in just about any soil. It has a tolerance for dense, compacted soils, though will fare best and grow to its largest size in rich, loamy soil with good drainage.
Water
In all but the driest climates, no additional watering beyond rainfall is needed. Ornamental varieties will appreciate about 1 inch of water per week—through rainfall, watering, or a combination of the two.
Temperature and Humidity
Broadleaf plantain thrives in the hot, humid conditions of summer across most of its hardiness range, zones 3 to 12. It prefers relatively humid conditions, but will also grow in arid climates if it gets supplemental water. West of the Rockies, it is a somewhat less prevalent lawn weed but is still frequently found.
Fertilizer
There’s no need to feed broadleaf plantain. It generally does well without any fertilizing.
Types of Broadleaf Plantains
There are three regional subspecies of this plant (Plantago major subsp. major, P. major subsp. intermedia, and P. major subsp. winteri), which are hard to distinguish from one another. There are also two common related species, Rugel’s plantain (P. rugelii), and ribwort plantain (P. lanceolata) with similar cultural needs and similar uses as an edible. There are also two cultivars of P. major developed as ornamentals. ‘Rubrifolia’ has purple leaves, and ‘Variegata’ has variegated leaves.
Harvesting Broadleaf Plantain
When harvested young and tender, the leaves are good eaten raw in salads, used in much the same way as spinach. Older, stringier leaves can be boiled for stews. Seeds are often sprinkled on salads or used to flavor stews, though harvesting them can be tedious. Due to its common association as a lawn weed, make sure that you are not harvesting plantain that has been sprayed with any chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. Leaves can be pulled from the plant at any stage. Gently pull the leaf and it will easily separate from the root. Don’t worry about harvesting too many leaves from the plant as it will grow back quite quickly. For use in salads, pick the leaves while they are young and tender. Older leaves are tougher and stringier, but they can be boiled for eating.
Propagating Broadleaf Plantain
Broadleaf plantain is very easy to propagate by collecting dried seeds and planting them in any suitable garden location. It is also fairly simple to transplant self-seeded specimens, even those growing as lawn weeds, into a suitable garden plot.
