Plantago rugelii
American plantain
Overview
Plantago rugelii is a low rosette-forming herbaceous perennial with broad basal leaves and no upright stem, the rosette spreading 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) across. The leaves are broadly egg-shaped, 3-7 inches (8-18 cm) long, with 5-7 prominent parallel veins, smooth or slightly toothed margins, and leaf stalks usually tinged red to purple at the base. From the center rise slender, leafless flower spikes 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) tall bearing many tiny greenish-white flowers along the upper half. Flowering runs from June through September. The flowers give way to small capsules, each holding several black seeds, that open by a lid below the middle. Plants grow from a short taproot and fibrous roots and spread mainly by seed. The species closely resembles common plantain, Plantago major, but has thinner, often purple-based leaf stalks and capsules that split lower down. It grows readily in lawns, paths, and compacted disturbed soils.
Native Range
Native to eastern and central North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Georgia and west to the Great Plains. Grows in lawns, roadsides, trail edges, gardens, and other disturbed, often compacted ground on a wide range of soils.Suggested Uses
Grown in native and habitat plantings and tolerated in lawns as a low rosette groundcover. The seeds feed birds and the foliage supports several native butterfly and moth larvae. Heavy self-seeding makes it suited to naturalized areas rather than formal beds.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight