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English Plantain

Plantago lanceolata

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in lawns, roadsides, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

-30
Harmful

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

Profile 76%

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

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Arkansas.

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
April to November

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 49 Arkansas 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

50CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · 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
  • Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
Show all 50
  • 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
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar 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
  • Pseudorthodes vecorsSmall Brown Quaker, Small Brown Groundcat
  • Pyrausta subsequalisMottled Pyrausta
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Spilosoma congruaAgreeable Tiger Moth
  • Spilosoma dubiaDubious Tiger Moth
  • Spilosoma latipennisPink-Legged 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
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Virbia aurantiacaOrange Virbia, Orange Holomelina
  • Virbia laetaJoyful Virbia, Joyful Holomelina
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • 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
Also known as

Narrow Leaf Plantain

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNA
Global rankG5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources