Plantain
Seed # 179
Basic Information
- Seed Number
- 179
- Seed Name
- Plantain
- Variety
- Black Seed
- Category
- Medicinal
- Plant Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Plant Type
- Blackseed/Rugel's plantain (Plantago rugelii)
- Planting Method
- Direct Sow
- Seed Status
- In Seed Bank
- Created
- 2026-08-14 00:50:34
- Updated
- 2026-08-19 15:35:29
Planting Information
- Start Planting Date
- Mar 1
- Last Recommended Planting Date
- Jun 1
- Plantable Months
- March, April, May, June
- Indoor Start
- Not recorded
- Direct Sow
- Mar 1 – Jun 1
- Transplant
- Not recorded
- Indoor Start Weeks Before Frost
- Not recorded
- Transplant Weeks After Frost
- Not recorded
- Germination Days
- Not recorded
- Harvest/Maturity
- Not recorded
- Succession Planting
- Not recorded
Growing Conditions
- Ideal Soil Temperature
- Not recorded
- Planting Depth
- Surface sow or cover very lightly
- Plant Spacing
- 6-12 in
- Row Spacing
- 12-18 in
- Thin-To Spacing
- 6-12 in
- Sun Requirements
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water Needs
- Adaptable; prefers adequate moisture
- Soil Preference
- Adaptable to lawns, gardens, disturbed sites and moderately moist soils
- Minimum Container Size
- 1-2 gal
- Plant Height
- 6-12 in
- Perennial/Biennial Status
- Perennial
- Container Friendly
- Yes
- Trellis/Support Needed
- No
- Frost Tolerant
- Yes
- Heat Tolerant
- Yes
- Drought Tolerant
- No
- Pollinator Friendly
- No
- Medicinal
- Yes
Garden Uses
Container Culinary Medicinal Seed Saving TeaCompanion Planting
No companion relationships recorded.
Storage
- Seed Source/Brand
- Ohio State Weed Guide; Minnesota Wildflowers
- Packet Year
- Not recorded
- Quantity Notes
- Not recorded
- Purchase Date
- Not recorded
- Expiration Year
- Not recorded
- Storage Box
- Not recorded
- Container
- Not recorded
- Envelope
- Not recorded
- Row
- Not recorded
- Slot
- Not recorded
- Storage Notes
- Not recorded
Notes
Original Planting Method: Surface sow or cover lightly; direct sow or start in cells
Outdoor / Direct Sow / Transplant Window: Spring through early fall
Germination Time: Variable; seed has little/no dormancy and germinates readily in favorable spring soil
Days to Harvest / Bloom: Harvest young leaves once established; no fixed vegetable-style maturity date
Pollinator Friendly: Low; primarily wind-pollinated
Medicinal / Herbal Use: Traditional herbal/edible use is reported; use only with correct identification
Succession / Reusable Notes: No succession needed; established plants return and can reseed.
Zone 6B Notes: Hardy perennial in Zone 6B; easy to establish once correctly identified as blackseed plantain.
Companion Plants: Best in a dedicated herb/native area with other hardy meadow plants
Avoid Planting Near / Watch Outs: Can self-seed heavily and become weedy in lawns, paths and disturbed soil.
Sources: Ohio State Weed Guide: https://weedguide.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/singlerecord.asp?id=109 | Minnesota Wildflowers: https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/rugels-plantain
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Zone 6B: Blackseed plantain is native to North America and is common in the Upper Midwest. It is winter hardy in Southeast Michigan and can spread aggressively by seed.
Germination: Surface sow or cover the small seed very lightly. Exact germination timing is left null rather than extrapolated from a different Plantago species.
Harvest: Blackseed plantain has documented traditional medicinal use. Young leaves are also edible.
Seed Saving: Allow seed spikes to mature and dry before collecting seed. Prevent unwanted reseeding by removing spikes before seeds mature.
Special Care: Blackseed plantain is Plantago rugelii, also called Rugel's plantain or American plantain. It can be distinguished from Plantago major by the prominent reddish-purple color near the base of the leaf stalk.
Research Source: University of Minnesota Extension — https://extension.umn.edu/weeds/plantain — Plantago rugelii identification, North American native status, 6-12 inch height, perennial habit, edible use, medicinal history and red-purple leaf-stalk characteristic
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