Herb library · Herb · Plantago lanceolata, Plantago major
Plantain
A common roadside weed, not the cooking banana of the same name. Its leaf is sold in Europe as a syrup or tea for dry cough and throat irritation on the strength of long traditional use; one small recent trial of a Plantago major syrup found less cough in acute bronchitis.
Traditional use
Plantain grows by paths and roadsides across Europe, the Americas and Asia. In European herbals the leaves were used for coughs, sore mouths and throats, and applied to wounds and skin. American doctors of the 1800s used the fresh juice and leaves, and Chinese medicine uses the seeds and plant (ch'e-ch'ien). In the EU, ribwort plantain leaf is registered as a traditional herbal medicine for throat irritation with dry cough, cough with colds, and minor skin inflammation.
Traditional energetics
Galenic (hot or cold, dry or moist)
Cold and dry. Culpeper's Complete Herbal (1814), p. 243 (opens in a new tab)
What studies show
- Limited
Cough in acute bronchitis: a 2024 randomized, double-blind trial in 80 adults found that a Plantago major syrup taken for 10 days lowered bronchitis severity scores and cough frequency compared with placebo. It is a single small trial.
- Insufficient
Throat irritation, dry cough and coughs with colds (ribwort plantain): accepted in the EU on the basis of traditional use only. The European Medicines Agency says controlled clinical studies have not been performed; an uncontrolled post-marketing study of a syrup reported fewer symptoms.
- Insufficient
Minor skin inflammation, used on the skin: accepted in the EU on the basis of traditional use only.
Be careful of
Cautions
- AllergyDo not use it if you are allergic to plantain or to ribwort plantain pollen.
- ConditionSee a doctor if you develop shortness of breath, a fever, or cough up colored mucus. The EU monograph does not recommend it for children under 3, and some preparations are not recommended under 12.
- NoteNo side effects are listed in the EU monograph; in one post-marketing study about 1% of users reported side effects, mostly diarrhea.
- PregnancySafety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established, and use is not recommended.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“Plantago. Plantain. Cold and dry; an herb, though common, yet let none despise it”
“The plant loses its medicinal activity by drying. All its preparations should be made from the freshly-gathered roots and tops.”
“This, the common plantain, is as much of a pest in China as it is in other lands.”
Sources
- Plantaginis lanceolatae folium - herbal medicinal product (opens in a new tab) · EMA · read September 25, 2026
- European Union herbal monograph on Plantago lanceolata L., folium (revision 1) (opens in a new tab) · EMA · read September 25, 2026
- Assessment report on Plantago lanceolata L., folium (revision 1) (opens in a new tab) · EMA · read September 25, 2026
- Effect of Plantago major on cough severity in acute bronchitis: A double-blind randomized clinical trial (2024) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.