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Plantago virginica

Virginia Plantain · Virginian Plantain · Dwarf Plantain

Family PlantaginaceaeGenus Plantago

A flat rosette of hairy, spoon-shaped gray-green leaves with a short flower spike, on bare gravelly soil
The whole plantZihao WangCC BY 4.0
A line drawing of a rosette of broad ribbed leaves on a fibrous root, with a long dense flower spike and enlarged flower parts and a seed.
IllustrationBritton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 3: 248. Courtesy of Kentucky Native Plant Society. Scanned by Omnitek Inc.Public domain

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
AnnualExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
annual or biennialPlants of the World Online
Height
0.2-1 ft5-30 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
0.2-1 ft5-30 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Green, WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
Spring, SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Native to the lower 48 statesPLANTS Database
Hardiness zones
3-9Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sunExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow RockyExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Moist, Occasionally DryExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.

Worth knowing

  • The Kiowa make garlands of Virginia plantain for old men to wear on their heads in ceremonial dances, as a symbol of health. Native to North America, it has become invasive in eastern China since it arrived there around 1980. Wikipedia: Plantago virginica

This source reports 5 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 42 days to germinate.

91% germination in 42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66Public domain
Show the original text
Plantago (Plantaginaceae). The curious results that some species required light and others did not may be due to the light requirement dying off on DS as found for P. virginica germ. 70L(91% in 6th w), 70 GA-3(81% in 3rd w), and none in 70D or 40-70D. A prior 6 w in 70D had no effect. Seeds DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70L(90% on 5th d) and 70D(32% in 1-5 w) suggesting that DS is eliminating the light requirement.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 3, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 2, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 6 months from start to sowing. Then 5 days to germinate.

90% germination in 5 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66Public domain
Show the original text
Plantago (Plantaginaceae). The curious results that some species required light and others did not may be due to the light requirement dying off on DS as found for P. virginica germ. 70L(91% in 6th w), 70 GA-3(81% in 3rd w), and none in 70D or 40-70D. A prior 6 w in 70D had no effect. Seeds DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70L(90% on 5th d) and 70D(32% in 1-5 w) suggesting that DS is eliminating the light requirement.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.

81% germination in 21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66Public domain
Show the original text
Plantago (Plantaginaceae). The curious results that some species required light and others did not may be due to the light requirement dying off on DS as found for P. virginica germ. 70L(91% in 6th w), 70 GA-3(81% in 3rd w), and none in 70D or 40-70D. A prior 6 w in 70D had no effect. Seeds DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70L(90% on 5th d) and 70D(32% in 1-5 w) suggesting that DS is eliminating the light requirement.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 3, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 2, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 6 months from start to sowing. Then 35 days to germinate.

32% germination in 7–35 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66Public domain
Show the original text
Plantago (Plantaginaceae). The curious results that some species required light and others did not may be due to the light requirement dying off on DS as found for P. virginica germ. 70L(91% in 6th w), 70 GA-3(81% in 3rd w), and none in 70D or 40-70D. A prior 6 w in 70D had no effect. Seeds DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70L(90% on 5th d) and 70D(32% in 1-5 w) suggesting that DS is eliminating the light requirement.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 5

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66Public domain
Show the original text
Plantago (Plantaginaceae). The curious results that some species required light and others did not may be due to the light requirement dying off on DS as found for P. virginica germ. 70L(91% in 6th w), 70 GA-3(81% in 3rd w), and none in 70D or 40-70D. A prior 6 w in 70D had no effect. Seeds DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70L(90% on 5th d) and 70D(32% in 1-5 w) suggesting that DS is eliminating the light requirement.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Plantago p. 66. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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