Broadleaf Plantain (White Man's Foot) (Plantago major)

Family: Plantaginaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Tough basal rosette of oval ribbed leaves with elastic parallel veins; ancient healing and wild salad green.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Nuts/Seeds, Shoots

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Young leaves taste pleasantly green like earthy spinach and chard; older leaves have fibrous threads and deeper mushroom-mineral flavor. — Tender young spring leaves eaten raw in mixed wild salads; Fibrous threads stripped from mature leaves before steaming or braising in olive oil; Mature autumn seed spikes dried and husks used as natural psyllium fiber

Habitat & North American Range

Pastures, compacted trails, disturbed meadows, roadsides, and open fields across North America. (Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10)