Herb: Sea Plantain


Latin name: Plantago maritima


Family: Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family)



Medicinal use of Sea Plantain:

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.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flovering:
June to
August

Habitat of the herb:

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

Edible parts of Sea Plantain:

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.

Propagation of the herb:

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.

Cultivation of Sea Plantain:

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

Known hazards of Plantago maritima:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.