It is a plant that usually goes un-noticed, often underfoot as we walk across flat areas. The plantains like to remain incognito among the grass or merge into the background on waste ground. But in spring they make themselves known by putting up long stalks with small creamy-coloured flowers. Their modest display delights the eye. There are various kinds. This one is Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata). It is growing by the crumbling remains of a rotting tree stump at the junction of two paths: surely bound to be “tidied up” and removed some day soon – but it will no doubt make a comeback.
Jessica's Nature Blog 
Your post reminded me I was looking at plantain Thursday growing on my neighbour’s lawn and thought I must take some pictures, I missed it yesterday he cut the lawn.
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I know the feeling. I was photographing plants the other day when a friend walked past and wanted to talk; so we walked on slowly for a few yards (keeping a distance of course) when a man with an industrial-sized strimmer came along and set to work where I had been taking pictures. Frustration – on many counts. Tidiness seems more important than biodiversity.
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I love this plant – it brings so many memories of childhood in Spring/Summer. Thank you 😊
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Thank you, StillWalks. As children we used to play a game with them – I don’t know how to describe it. You loop the thin stalk around the flower head and pull sharply so that the flower bit flies off as a projectile to ping your friends with. Do you remember that?
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Wow! That sounds cool. We didn’t play that game, we played “soldiers”, taking it in turns to try and swipe the head off each other’s “soldier”. Happy days 😊
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I wonder if kids still do that sort of thing. Probably not.
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I remember playing that game too.
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Only on a screen I suspect!!??
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I never knew what these were called. Very familar fellows!
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Lingering over their graceful movement, I realised that the strange plant I saw a few days ago was Ribwort Plantain, just without its girdle of ‘fluff’.
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