Common Plantain is one of the most widespread weedy plants in the world, introduced from Europe and now found in virtually every disturbed habitat across North America. Indigenous peoples called it 'white man's foot' because it appeared wherever Europeans settled. Despite its weedy reputation, it is highly nutritious and has been used medicinally for millennia to treat wounds, stings, and inflammation. It thrives in compacted soils where it is routinely trampled — a habitat most plants cannot tolerate.
Habitat
Lawns, roadsides, paths, disturbed ground, and compacted soils across all of North America.
Diet
Seeds consumed by sparrows, juncos, and other granivorous birds; caterpillars of several butterfly species feed on leaves.
How common
Common
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