How to Identify Plantain Lawn Weed

Probably the second most common lawn weed in the U.S., broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) grows mostly from seed, with each plant capable of producing about 14,000 seeds per year. Once it gets started in a lawn, it's difficult to remove, so it's best to learn to identify it so you can remove it as soon as you see it growing. It usually grows in thinner lawn areas. Because it's low-growing, mowing doesn't kill it or affect its growth. The European native grows as a perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10.

Broadleaf plantain leaves are egg-shaped and dark green, about 3 to 7 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide. The leaves may have a slightly puckered or wavy appearance. The smooth leaf edges can be wavy, and three or more conspicuous parallel veins travel down the leaf. They're held on a stalk about 5 inches long that comes from the crown of the plant. The crown is the area of the plant right under the soil where new growth emerges. It's easy to tell broad leaf plantain from the most common lawn weed, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), which grows in USDA zones 5 through 9, which has jagged teeth along the leaf edges. Buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata), which grows in USDA zones 5 through 9, also a lawn weed but not as common as broadleaf plantain, has narrower leaves 3 to 12 inches long which are oval and held on a shorter stalk.

Tiny white flowers appear on a stalk with a green, flower-bearing area about 2 to 6 inches long, held well above the leaves. Broadleaf plantain begins to flower soon after the seedling stage, and produces flowers throughout the life of the plant, with each plant capable of living many years. Buckhorn plantain has a longer, 12- to 18-inch-long flower stalk, with the flowering area of 1 to 2 inches long, shorter than broadleaf plantain. Dandelion bears the familiar, shaggy-looking, yellow flower.

Plantain is self-fertile and doesn't need cross-pollination. After flowering, broadleaf plantain produces 1/16-inch-wide, angular, reddish-brown seeds all along the spike. The seeds resemble tiny acorns in shape. Seeds of buckhorn plantain are about the same size but shiny black and boat-shaped. Broadleaf plantain seeds develop a sticky coat when they become wet. This allows seeds to stick to passing animals, equipment, shoes and birds, which distribute the seeds.

Broadleaf plantain has a dense, fibrous root system that extends from a crown that thickens as the plant becomes older. Buckhorn plantain and dandelion both have substantial tap roots that extend deeply into the soil. Both plantains can regrow from pieces of crown or tap root left behind after digging the plants. It's best to identify young plantain plants and remove them before they develop thick crowns or tap roots.

Broadleaf and buckhorn plantains both have rosettes of leaves from the crown or tap root. In broadleaf plantain, the leaves spread out close to the ground, with the flower stalks the only upright portion of the plant. The plants are about 4 inches tall by 4 inches wide. Buckhorn plantain has more erect growth, reaching 18 inches tall by 8 inches wide.