Plantago major Atropurpurea

Greater Plantain or Plantago major Atropurpurea is a rare purple form of a perennial "weed", also called Broadleaf Plantain and White Man's Foot, that can be found in our clay meadows where it accompanies dandelions. It can be welcomed in the vegetable garden, where its leaves can be consumed or used for medicinal purposes. This beautiful purple plantain also has its place in a wild garden. It forms an attractive rosette of wide leaves, tinted with dark purple on a green background. Its flowering is not spectacular, with thin and greyish-yellow flower spikes, but it produces seeds that are a delight for domestic birds. It is a plant that enjoys the sun, in non-compacted clay soils. 

Greater Plantain is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Europe and now widespread in all temperate regions of the world. It is commonly found along roadsides, in uncultivated areas, in poor soils that are not suitable for traditional crops. Plantain is the flagship of the botanical family Plantaginaceae.

Growing naturally in highly clayey, non-compacted, even suffocating soils, where it faces little competition, this perennial displays a spreading rosette habit, composed of deeply veined wide leaves. Their lamina is thick, elastic, fibrous and rich in mucilage. This plantain blooms from May to November, in the form of erect flower stems carrying a cylindrical or oblong, sparse spike at their tip, where tiny greyish-yellow flowers are tightly packed.

In the garden, this herb is grown for its very tender young leaves which are consumed raw in mixed salads or cooked like spinach. It can also be used to treat minor injuries such as insect bites, as it has emollient and astringent properties.

Harvesting: leaves should be harvested between May and June.

Storage: leaves should be consumed immediately after harvesting.

Gardener's tip: like lamb's lettuce, Greater Plantain should be sown in non-compacted soil. If, in its natural state, the rosette of this plantain spreads widely at ground level, it can have a slightly more upright habit when cultivated. Greater Plantain is common in meadows where it withstands trampling and overgrazing well.