Plantago media, commonly known as Hoary Plantain, is a perennial herb native to grasslands, meadows, and open areas in Europe to the Russian Far East. It thrives in calcareous soils and can be found at elevations up to 6562 feet (2000 meters). This species forms a basal rosette of softly hairy leaves and sends up slender stalks bearing cylindrical spikes of tiny, pink-white flowers from May to September. The flowers are modest but attract pollinators such as bees, and the plant is hermaphroditic with both wind and insect pollination mechanisms.

Hoary Plantain is valued for its medicinal properties, particularly in traditional medicine for respiratory and skin conditions. It is also edible and has been consumed since Roman times. In cultivation, it prefers full sun to partial shade and requires moist, well-drained soils with a preference for alkaline conditions. While not commonly used in ornamental gardening, it can be a component in wildflower meadows or naturalistic plantings. Gardeners should note that it can self-seed and spread if conditions are favorable, potentially becoming weedy.CC BY-SA 4.0