English Plantain

Pollen Type: Weed

Cross-Reactivity: Other Plantains

HS Allergy Extract: English Plantain

Family: Plantaginaceae

Genus/Species: Plantago lanceolata

Common Names: English Plantain, Ribwort Plantain, Narrow-leaved Plantain, Buckhorn Plantain, Buck Plantain

Distribution: Throughout the United States.

Locations: English Plantain is a common lawn weed. It also grows in moist agricultural land and waste places throughout North America. It is toxic to cattle and other plants.

Pollination Method: Wind-pollinated, blooming heavily in the cool morning to afternoon hours.

Pollinating Period: April-Summer, heaviest in May & June

Description: English Plantain is a perennial herb that grows 12”-28” tall. The 3”-8” leaves are oblong with a narrow pointed tip (apex) like the head of a spear. Each leaf features 3-5 prominent ridges on the underside, and the leaves are upright and spread from a dense root base that grows in a rosette cluster. The flowers are crowded and grow on a short spike approximately ¾”-3” long. The flowers bloom up from the base on slender grooved stems. The anthers, which generate the pollen, are produced for many days, making English Plantain a serious allergy problem.

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