Have you ever noticed the little spikey plants growing between the cracks of your sidewalk, in dry areas of your yard, or even your garden? English plantains are so mundane that you may not have even noticed them.

A few years ago I took a one-day course with a seasoned and well-educated field guide who pointed out the English plantain. He said it was edible with extremely good qualities for your stomach and GI tract. The guide handed me a leaf and showed me what to look for to identify this edible herb, and I tasted it. I felt it was somewhat mild in taste, but he remarked that some people can’t stand the taste. Kind of like cilantro, you either like it or you don’t.

I’ve kind of always been fascinated by the tiny flowers or buds that the naked eye quickly dismisses. I like to roll around on the ground and get photos of them because most people don’t take the time to really look at these interesting objects.

The English plantain plant is not native to the United States, the seeds were presumably brought over by gardeners and farmers from Europe because they were familiar with the crop.

Amazon standard link for plantain seeds in case you want to grow your own healthy food.

I loved the plantain flowers so much that I ended up turning one of my photos into an embroidery pattern for you to download, free!

Click here for your free embroidery pattern.

I chose a simple brown (DMC 801) for the outline, and a tan color (DMC 739) for the French knots on the end of the spikes.

 “As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”

If you liked this flower pattern, why not try this one: Click Here