Plantains
Plantago lanceolata and Plantago major
Ribbed leaves and upright spikes help separate narrowleaf plantain from broadleaf plantain—and make a better product match.
Photo: Stefan.lefnaer · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
What to look for
- Both types grow as basal rosettes, with several prominent veins running lengthwise along the leaf.
- Narrowleaf plantain has long, relatively narrow leaves and a compact oval to cylindrical flower head on a ridged stalk.
- Broadleaf plantain has much wider oval leaves and typically a longer, slender cylindrical spike.
Confirm it before you treat it
Photograph a leaf from base to tip, its veins and the complete flowering spike. Measure or show the leaf width beside a ruler. A mown rosette can be misleading. The main image shows Plantago lanceolata; the gallery shows Plantago major, which is a separate species.
What to do next
- Lift isolated rosettes with the crown and root system, before seed is distributed. Check afterwards for regrowth.
- Look at the lawn’s traffic, drainage, light and density; repair thin areas when the chosen grass can recover.
- Match the species named on the product label. If it is broadleaf plantain or the identification is uncertain, email photos before selecting a treatment.
Conditions matter more than dates.
Inspect openings and repeatedly disturbed turf rather than assuming one soil problem from the weed alone. Different plantains can occur in different site conditions.
Southern spring and summer flowering makes identification easier. NSW Flora records narrowleaf flowering chiefly September–April and broadleaf October–March; these are flowering observations, not Australia-wide spray dates.
Does a label that says “plantain” cover both photos?
Check the scientific name and exact directions. The linked Bow & Arrow label names Plantago lanceolata. Broadleaf plantain is Plantago major and needs its own label check.
More views. Better clues.
Read each caption and compare fresh symptoms in your own turf.
Photo: Iorsh · source · Public domain. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
Open full image ↗
Similar problems. Different solutions.
Cudweed
Turn a leaf over: the pale, woolly underside is a useful clue. Confirm the species before matching older label names.
Identify & find a solution ↗
Dandelion
Yellow flowers are only the start. Check the stalk and leaf rosette to distinguish dandelion from catsear.
Identify & find a solution ↗Compaction & wear
A worn route needs a soil and traffic plan as well as grass recovery.
Identify & find a solution ↗Reviewed 11 October 2026 · Turfmate. Seasonal windows are indicative planning guidance, not measured outbreak or prevalence data.
Technical sources & image credits
- PlantNET: NSW Flora Online — Plantago lanceolata
- PlantNET: NSW Flora Online — Plantago major
- Weeds of Australia: Plantago lanceolata
- Bow & Arrow Australian product label
- Plantains — Photo: Stefan.lefnaer · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Cudweed — Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Dandelion — Photo: Famartin · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
Photos support identification and may have been taken outside Australia. Appearance varies with species, mowing and conditions. A Turfmate product link does not imply endorsement by a photographer or source.