medicinal herbs
Buck's-Horn Plantain
Plantago coronopus

• Medicinal herbs
• Natural herbs
• Latin names
• Common names

Herb: Buck's-Horn Plantain

Latin name: Plantago coronopus

Family: Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family)

Medicinal use of Buck's-Horn Plantain:

The leaves are antiperiodic and ophthalmic. They are used as a remedy for ague and sore eyes. 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:

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy or gravelly soils and cracks in rocks, in sunny places in dry soils usually near the sea.

Edible parts of Buck's-Horn Plantain:

Young leaves - raw or cooked. High yielding. One of the nicer tasting members of this genus, the leaves are fairly tender and have a slight bitterness. Some people blanch the leaves in boiling water for a few seconds before using them in salads in order to make them more tender. This leaf is one of the ingredients of "misticanze", a salad mixture of wild and cultivated leaves that originated in the Marche region of Italy.

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 Buck's-Horn Plantain:

Sandy or gravelly soils and cracks in rocks, in sunny places in dry soils usually near the sea.

Known hazards of Plantago coronopus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.