Broadleaf Plantain, Plantago major

Description

Common Plantain, also known as Broad Leafed or Greater Plantain, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family. The plant is native to most of Europe, but has widely naturalised elsewhere in the world. It is unrelated to the fruit also known as plantain, which is a species of banana. Considered a very common garden weed, it grows on lawns and fields, along roadsides, gardens, and in other areas that have been disturbed by humans. It does particularly well in compacted or disturbed soils, and it is believed to be one of the first plants to reach North America after European colonisation, so much so, that it was known among some Native American peoples by the common name "White Man's Footprint", because it thrived in the disturbed ecosystems surrounding European settlements. The whole plant is edible, with the young, tender leaves eaten raw, and the older, stringier, leaves boiled in stews, much like spinach. The young buds can also be cooked and eaten, tasting a little like asparagus. In Autumn, it's seeds can also be used as a cous-cous style substitute.