English Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Family: Plantain (Plantaginaceae)
Habitat: If you live in the Sierra foothills, it's probably growing in your lawn. English Plantain is an alien, introduced from Europe and spreading rapidly without bothering to wait around for the green card application to come through. It's common throughout the foothills and makes itself comfortable at elevations up to 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). Dry and sunny seem ideal for it, but it's not picky.
Flowering Season: May - July
Size: The flowering section of the plant is typically 1 - 2 inches tall. The individual flowery bits, which might remind you of tiny white hearts or albino Sugar Smacks, are quite small - perhaps a few millimeters in length each. The entire plant is typically 1 - 2 feet high. Unless you're viewing this from a cellphone, the photo above probably appears larger than life.
This Photo: North of Oakhurst near Highway 49, mid May. Elevation 2,300 feet (700 meters).
More English Plantain Pictures
 Large Closeup |
 Typical Plant |