Can someone identify please. hoping it is giant plantain

Tom said:

Here is the plantain from @Carol S I mentioned with the giant leaves:
View attachment 272780

View attachment 272781

Click to expand...

You should collect and save some of the seeds to share with the rest of us.

Plants are grouped and classified by their floral parts. It is difficult to categorically identify a plant solely by its leafy parts unless it is commonplace and familiar. Tom and others are right. The plant in question is certainly not a plantain or hosta. The early emergence on a creek bed is a dead giveaway. Whoever said skunk cabbage is the winner.

Buckhorn, Narrow-leaved or English plantain and Broadleaf or Dooryard plantain are known throughout the US. The Broadleaf variety is more common in the Northeast. They are not native. They are perennials from Europe. And they bloom almost as soon as they emerge each spring.

Beloved by tortoises, they are considered serious lawn pests and plantain pollen is a major cause of allergy and hay fever.

Tom said:

Here is the plantain from @Carol S I mentioned with the giant leaves:
View attachment 272780

View attachment 272781

Click to expand...

Ok great thanks. I did get some of that from her. Just planted it last week!

Sterant said:

I found a huge growth of this on the steep sides of a creek bed. Lots of it. Giant Plantain??

My boot for scale.
View attachment 272370

Click to expand...

Hi,
I download an app yesterday called plantnet, you take a pic of the plant/flowers and it tells you what it is, its Great, I then use the tortoise food table to see if it's safe to eat.

Linzi said:

Hi,
I download an app yesterday called plantnet, you take a pic of the plant/flowers and it tells you what it is, its Great, I then use the tortoise food table to see if it's safe to eat.

Click to expand...

I use that app too! And like you I then check on Tortoise table if safe. It's a brilliant app.

I have also tried that. Seems to work well. in this case it did not zero in on Skunk Cabbage - it came up with about 10 choices, one of which was Skunk Cabbage.

Sterant said:

I have also tried that. Seems to work well. in this case it did not zero in on Skunk Cabbage - it came up with about 10 choices, one of which was Skunk Cabbage.

Click to expand...

Yes, quite often I then Google images of what the app suggests and then get a good identification from that.