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Common Plantain

Plantago major

Found in lawns, roadsides, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

—
Not native

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

Profile 76%

Height
About 3.6 inches
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

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  • Bird's-foot Violet
    Viola pedata

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Blue, purple or white.

    Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, soil moisture

  • Downy Yellow Violet
    Viola pubescens

    Sun: Dappled sunlight, Deep shade, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Yellow or orange.

    Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, soil moisture

  • Hooded Blue Violet
    Viola sororia

    Sun: Dappled sunlight, Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Blue, pink, purple or white.

    Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, light

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At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
May to November
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 10 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 3a–12b
Flower color
Green or white
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Plantain

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNA
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources