English Plantain

Plantago lanceolata

Found in lawns, roadsides, disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height: 6–16 inches
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to moist

Plantago lanceolata — whole photograph — (c) Amelia Tauber, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Bloom: April to November

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 59 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

48CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Plantago

Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
Apantesis annaAnna Tiger Moth
Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
Apantesis figurataFigured Tiger Moth
Apantesis naisNais Tiger Moth
Apantesis partheniceParthenice Tiger Moth
Apantesis phalerataHarnessed Moth
Apantesis vittataBanded Tiger Moth
Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth

Show all 48

Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
Dypterygia rozmaniAmerican Bird's-Wing
Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
Euphydryas phaetonThe Baltimore, The Black Checker
Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary, (?)Gulf Fritillary
Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
Hypercompe scriboniaGiant Leopard Moth, Great Leopard Moth
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Junonia coeniaCommon Buckeye
Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
Neodactria caliginosellusCorn Webworm, Corn Root Webworm, Sooty Crambus
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Orthodes cynicaCynical Quaker, Cynical Groundcat
Orthodes majusculaRustic Quaker, Rustic Groundcat
Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Phlogophora periculosaBrown Angle Shades
Phyciodes tharosPearl Crescent, Crescentspot
Pyrausta subsequalisMottled Pyrausta
Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
Spilosoma congruaAgreeable Tiger Moth
Spilosoma dubiaDubious Tiger Moth
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Tricholita signataSignate Quaker, Signate Groundcat
Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Trichopolia oviducaRuddy Quaker
Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
Virbia aurantiacaOrange Virbia, Orange Holomelina
Virbia laetaJoyful Virbia, Joyful Holomelina
Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

9BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Plantago

Alectoris chukarChukar
Anser caerulescensSnow Goose
Branta canadensisCanada Goose
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow
Spizella breweriBrewer's Sparrow

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Plantaginaceae
Hardiness: Zones 5a–9b
Flower color: Brown/copper or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to November” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Brown/copper or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 5a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “6–16 inches” · Minnesota Wildflowers
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Dry; Moist (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Narrow Leaf Plantain

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNA
Global rank	G5
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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