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Plantago lanceolata
Spitzwegerich · (Plantago lanceolata)
Plantain family (Plantaginaceae)
Description
Growing along almost every roadside, ribwort plantain (Plantaginaceae), with its narrow, ribbed leaves, is one of the best-known first-aid herbs: crushed fresh and pressed onto insect bites or small cuts, its tannins and antibacterial aucubin bring relief. Harvested as tea before flowering, its mucilage forms a soothing film over irritated throat and bronchial mucosa, while the phenylethanoid glycoside acteoside adds a mild anti-inflammatory effect — a classic remedy for dry, irritating cough and hoarseness, often prepared as a honey syrup for children. The infusion should be made with hot, not boiling water, since high temperatures destroy the mucilage. Because mucilage can delay the absorption of other medicines, a gap of 30 to 60 minutes between doses is advisable. Honey syrup is only suitable from one year of age due to the risk of botulism.
Soothing tea for dry irritated cough and hoarseness. Mucilage forms a protective film on irritated pharyngeal and bronchial mucosa; aucubin (resp. its aglycone aucubigenin) adds antibacterial action; acteoside (verbascoside) inhibits leukotriene B4 synthesis and acts anti-inflammatorily.
Preparation & dosage
INFUSION (do not boil — mucilage and aucubin are heat-sensitive): Pour 150 ml hot (not boiling, ca. 80–90 °C) water over 1–2 g crushed dried ribwort plantain leaves, cover, steep 10–15 min, strain. 2–3× daily freshly prepared. For dry irritated cough sip slowly. EMA monograph: daily dose 3–6 g.
- Dry amount
- 1–2 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 1 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 6 years — Per EMA monograph suitable for adults, adolescents and children from 6 years.
Gargle and mouth rinse for mild inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa. Tannins and mucilage act astringently and protectively.
Preparation & dosage
Prepare infusion as for tea (1–2 g + 150 ml hot water, 10–15 min). Use lukewarm 2–3× daily to gargle 30 seconds or as a mouth rinse. For pharyngitis the liquid may also be swallowed.
- Dry amount
- 1–2 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 1 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 6 years — From 6 years; supervise younger children when gargling.
Sources: [1]
Folk medicine first-aid remedy: ribwort plantain grows on almost every roadside and provides an instant natural plaster. Aucubigenin acts antibacterially; mucilage and tannins soothe and protect. Not a substitute for medical treatment of deep or infected wounds.
Preparation & dosage
FRESH-LEAF POULTICE (classic wayfarer's home remedy): Crush fresh, clean ribwort plantain leaves between fingers or with a flat stone until juice appears, apply directly to insect bites, nettle stings or minor scrapes. Replace after 10–20 min. MOIST COMPRESS: Infusion (2 g leaves/150 ml hot water, 15 min) on clean cloth, apply to wound 15–20 min.
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 1 weeks
Ribwort plantain honey syrup as traditional alternative to tea for dry irritated cough and hoarseness. The combination of mucilage and honey is especially soothing and tastes better to children than the tea.
Preparation & dosage
RIBWORT PLANTAIN SYRUP or TINCTURE (traditional dosage form, especially popular for children): Layer fresh leaves alternately with honey in a jar 1:1, leave 4–8 weeks — syrup draws out. Take 1 tsp 2–3× daily. Ready-made ribwort plantain cough syrups available commercially. Tincture: standardised finished preparation per package leaflet.
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 2 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 6 years — Syrup form especially suitable for children from 6 years (honey syrup only from 1 year — botulism risk in infants).
Folk medicine cough tea for colds, acute bronchitis and sore throat — often combined with other cough plants (thyme, marshmallow, cowslip). Acteoside/verbascoside inhibits leukotriene B4 and acts anti-inflammatorily; mucilage soothes irritation.
Preparation & dosage
HERBAL BLEND TEA for colds/bronchitis: Mix ribwort plantain with thyme or cowslip (1 g each, total dose 2–3 g). Infusion 10–15 min, 3× daily. Used in folk medicine also for acute bronchitis.
- Dry amount
- 1.5–3 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 2 weeks
Traditional external use for sunburn, superficial burns, eczema and insect bites. Tannins act astringently and relieve itching; acteoside components act mildly anti-inflammatorily.
Preparation & dosage
FRESH LEAVES AS COOLING COMPRESS: Rinse a few fresh ribwort plantain leaves briefly in cold water, apply directly to sunburn or insect sting area. Leaves retain moisture and cool gently. Renew as needed. NO substitute for medical treatment of severe burns.
- Doses per day
- 2×
- Max duration
- 1 weeks
If cough persists more than 1 week or is accompanied by fever, breathlessness, purulent or bloody sputum: consult a doctor. Mucilage can delay absorption of other orally taken medicines — take other medications 30–60 min before or after ribwort tea. Use hot (not boiling) water for infusion — excessive temperature destroys mucilage and aucubin. Ribwort honey syrup only from 1 year of age (botulism risk in infants under 12 months).
⏱ Max continuous use: 1 weeks
EMA notes lack of reliable data on use during pregnancy. External fresh-leaf poultice on an insect bite is considered harmless.
Insufficient data on use during breastfeeding.
Tea and gargle: from 6 years per EMA. Honey syrup form from 1 year only. Fresh-leaf poultice (external) customarily used in folk medicine also for younger children.
Drug interactions
Orale Arzneimittel allgemein
Mucilage can form a film on the GI mucosa and delay absorption of other medicines. As precaution: take other medications 30–60 minutes before or after tea.
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to ribwort plantain or other plantain species (Plantaginaceae).
- Children under 6 years (tea/gargle) — not recommended per EMA due to lack of data.
- Honey syrup: not for infants under 12 months (botulism risk from raw honey).
Harvested part: leaves (before flowering)
- Time of day:
- Dry morning after dew has dried, before midday sun heats the leaves. Aucubin content is highest in the morning before full sun exposure.
- Drying:
- Collect young, healthy leaves before and during flowering — highest aucubin content. Spread loosely in single layer in shade and dry quickly at max. 40 °C — slow drying and high temperatures degrade aucubin (browning = quality loss). Remove stems or keep thin.
- Storage:
- 12 months — Store airtight, dark and dry. Use within one year — aucubin content decreases over time.
- Time of day:
- For fresh-leaf poultice or fresh juice: any time when the plant is green and healthy. Ideally not from contaminated sites (roadsides with heavy traffic, fertilised fields).
- Drying:
- FRESH USE (compress, syrup): Collect young, intact leaves and stems. NO drying necessary. Fresh leaves for syrup making: process immediately or within 24 hours. For classic fresh-leaf compress: use directly on site.
- Storage:
- 1 months — Fresh leaves: in refrigerator max. 2–3 days. Home-made fresh plant syrup (with honey) cool and dark up to ca. 3 months.
- Schleimstoffe (saure Polysaccharide: Rhamnogalacturonane, Arabinogalactane)MucilageContent: 2–6,5 %Leaf
Main active compounds for soothing action. Rhamnogalacturonans and arabinogalactans form a viscous protective film on oral, pharyngeal and bronchial mucosa upon contact with water. Heat-sensitive — do not boil the infusion.
- Iridoidglykoside (Aucubin, Catalpol)GlycosideContent: 2–3 %Leaf
Aucubin and catalpol are the dominant iridoids. Aucubin is cleaved by endogenous glucosidases or during drying to aucubigenin, which is demonstrably antibacterial. Aucubin is heat- and storage-sensitive — rapid drying and cool storage preserve content. Catalpol has mild anti-inflammatory properties.
- Phenylethanoid-Glykoside (Acteoside / Verbascoside, Plantamajoside, Isoacteoside)GlycosideLeaf
Acteoside (= verbascoside) is the key phenylethanoid in ribwort plantain. It inhibits leukotriene B4 synthesis (lipoxygenase inhibition) in vitro and acts anti-inflammatorily and antioxidantly. Plantamajoside has DPPH radical-scavenging activity. These compounds explain anti-inflammatory action in respiratory and skin use.
- Gerbstoffe (kondensierte und hydrolysierbare Tannine)TanninContent: ca. 6,5 %Leaf
Significant tannin content — acts astringently on mucous membranes and skin. Supports wound healing (granulation promotion) and has mildly haemostatic property in external applications.
- Flavonoide (Apigenin-7-glucosid, Luteolin, Hyperoside)FlavonoidLeaf
Apigenin-7-glucoside and luteolin as main flavonoids. Mildly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Luteolin inhibits COX enzymes in vitro. Quercetin derivatives (hyperoside) complement the antioxidant profile.
- Phenolcarbonsäuren (Chlorogensäure, Rosmarinsäure, Vanillinsäure)Phenolic acidLeaf
Rosmarinic acid and chlorogenic acid as dominant phenolic acids. Rosmarinic acid inhibits the complement system and acts anti-inflammatorily; chlorogenic acid is antioxidant. Together with acteoside they contribute to the anti-inflammatory profile of ribwort plantain.
- KieselsäureMineralContent: 1–2 %Leaf
Ribwort plantain is among the silica-rich medicinal plants. Used in folk medicine for strengthening connective tissue and mucosal tissue.
- [1]MonographEMA/HMPC/887979/2022 — European Union herbal monograph on Plantago lanceolata L., folium (Revision 1, Final, August 2024)(accessed: 2026-05-18)
- [4]MonographWegener T, Kraft K (1999) — Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.): anti-inflammatory action in upper respiratory tract infections. Wien Med Wochenschr 149(8-10):211-6. PubMed 10483683(accessed: 2026-05-21)
- [5]MonographCliniTox Giftpflanzen — Plantago lanceolata L.: schwach giftig (+) (Institut für Veterinärpharmakologie und -toxikologie, Universität Zürich)(accessed: 2026-08-10)
- [2]WikipediaSpitzwegerich (Wikipedia DE)(accessed: 2026-05-21)
- [3]WikipediaPlantago lanceolata (Wikipedia EN)(accessed: 2026-05-21)