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Common Name: Sea Plantain

General Information

Plantago maritima is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.20 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, Hungary and Russia.

Habitat

Short turf in salt marshes near the sea and by streams in mountains, usually in saline or wet soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.20 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[].
An important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - raw or cooked[, , , ]. A delicious flavour[]. This is one of the nicer-tasting members of the genus, the leaves are fairly low in fibres and make an acceptable addition to a mixed salad[]. The leaves are canned for winter use in Alaska[].
Seed - raw or cooked. The seed can be ground into a powder and used as a flour extender[]. The seed is very small and tedious to harvest[].

Medicinal

Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage which swells up in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing irritated membranes[]. Sometimes the seed husks are used without the seeds[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
A sowing can be made outdoors in situ in mid to late spring if you have enough seeds.