Plantago coronopus, commonly known as Buck’s-horn Plantain, is an herbaceous plant that can be either annual or perennial. It is native to coastal areas, sand dunes, and grasslands of Eurasia and North Africa. This species typically forms a basal rosette of narrowly lance-shaped leaves that can grow up to 10 inches long. The plant produces dense spikes of small, inconspicuous flowers with four whitish lobes, which sometimes curve and are not particularly showy. Flowering occurs from late spring to early fall.

Buck’s-horn Plantain is valued for its edible leaves, which have a slightly nutty flavor and are used in salad mixes, known as ’erba stella’ in culinary circles. It is appreciated for its frost-hardiness, making it a viable winter crop in cooler regions. In cultivation, it prefers full sun to part shade and thrives in sandy or gravelly soils with good drainage. While it is drought-tolerant, consistent moisture will produce the best leaf growth. It is also known for its ability to tolerate saline conditions, which makes it suitable for areas near the sea or where salt is used on roads. However, gardeners should be aware of its potential to become invasive outside its native range, as it has in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, where it can outcompete native vegetation.CC BY-SA 4.0