Bristly ox-tongue. When it doubt see if the leaves stick to your shirt, then you’ll know why they call it bristly.
You can eat both. I've read some things about English Plantain but Both are really high in tannic acid so they need to have a couple of sauna baths followed by ice water. Plantain starts growing again in the spring with a little seed flower pod. Supposedly those little fresh pods taste similar to broccoli...
I always put my fresh broccoli through one bath session...other plants are really high in tannic acid and need more baths to make them more palatable for us. Some are so high in tannic acid you can make beautiful leather with them. I've done that with Que bracco.When discussing tannins we now have to ask which ones and in what concentrations. Tannins as a class of chemicals are found in essentially all plants. Some are highly problematic, most are not (as long as they are taken as part of a varied, balanced diet).
Tannins
Tannins are produced to a greater or lesser degree by all plants, with higher concentrations in those tissues which are lost by plants such as leaves, fruits & bark. An easy way to remember wha…thenaturopathicherbalist.com
Plantago lanceolata/major
Plantago lanceolata/major Common name: Lance shaped plantain Family: Plantaginaceae Parts used: Leaves Constituents: Mucilage, carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, sacch…thenaturopathicherbalist.com
Wow...something I realized from tanning leather is that tannic acid protects living cells also. I use cold coffee on a burn to this day.When discussing tannins we now have to ask which ones and in what concentrations. Tannins as a class of chemicals are found in essentially all plants. Some are highly problematic, most are not (as long as they are taken as part of a varied, balanced diet).
Tannins
Tannins are produced to a greater or lesser degree by all plants, with higher concentrations in those tissues which are lost by plants such as leaves, fruits & bark. An easy way to remember wha…thenaturopathicherbalist.com
Plantago lanceolata/major
Plantago lanceolata/major Common name: Lance shaped plantain Family: Plantaginaceae Parts used: Leaves Constituents: Mucilage, carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, sacch…thenaturopathicherbalist.com
You guys are blowing my mind with all this info. I’ve learned more about plants and vegetables from this forum then I’ve learned from my whole life! I wish I would have joined when I was a kid, I’d probably be a lot healthier. Everyone is so eager to help and so informative, it’s truly a gift.
I am certain it's not poisonous to tortoise but I am bad with names. I am for a fact giving these exact plant leafs and she seem to like itAny chance this is plantain? There were no shoots coming up but I’m hoping it’s because of the time of year. It has a sort of rough touch to itView attachment 288631View attachment 288632
Having said that I have touched plantains many times before and this one doesn't look like it , plantains are also stringy but smooth leafsI am certain it's not poisonous to tortoise but I am bad with names. I am for a fact giving these exact plant leafs and she seem to like it
In case you haven't located a source for plantain seeds, here is what I have used:Any chance I can get plantain seeds from anywhere? People do eat it sometimes right? Or maybe I’m confused with something else. Maybe I’m thinking of dandelion greens
JOE!!! Hey man. How are things in SD? Glad to see you posting!In case you haven't located a source for plantain seeds, here is what I have used:
Plantain, Narrow-leaved (Plantago lanceolata) seeds, organic (not available to IN)
Family: Plantain (Plantaginacea) Hardy to Zones 5 to 9 (Narrow Leaved Plantain, Lance Leaved Plantain, English Plantain, Buckhorn Plantain, Ribwort Plantain) Herbaceous or evergreen perennial. Native to Europe and introduced worldwide. Traditional usage (TWM): astringent, wound healing…strictlymedicinalseeds.comPlantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) seeds, organic
Family: Plantain (Plantaginaceae) Hardy to Zones 3 to 10 Herbaceous perennial native to Europe and naturalized worldwide. As a food, young leaves may be incorporated in salads or as a potherb. Traditional usage (TWM): antimicrobial and antiinflammatory…strictlymedicinalseeds.com
I also grow Purple Plantain, a broadleaf with variegation. My sulcata could care less about the color, but they look good and add color to a salad. In the past I grew frissy plantain. The edges of the leaf are curley. It looks a lot like endive and is more tender than either the broadleaf or narrow leaf plantain. As my sulcata grew in size the tender leaf aspect was not so important. I haven't grown this in several years because it did not survive our winter here in San Diego as well as the other plantains. Great for feeding those small torts.
Right on. Yea, I started feeding to my tort and it’s all over it. I love finding new food!I am certain it's not poisonous to tortoise but I am bad with names. I am for a fact giving these exact plant leafs and she seem to like it
View attachment 288776
Gotcha. My tort definitely likes the more tender weeds. Not all of em but it generally goes for the more tender ones and the new shoots first. Thanks for the infoIn case you haven't located a source for plantain seeds, here is what I have used:
Plantain, Narrow-leaved (Plantago lanceolata) seeds, organic (not available to IN)
Family: Plantain (Plantaginacea) Hardy to Zones 5 to 9 (Narrow Leaved Plantain, Lance Leaved Plantain, English Plantain, Buckhorn Plantain, Ribwort Plantain) Herbaceous or evergreen perennial. Native to Europe and introduced worldwide. Traditional usage (TWM): astringent, wound healing…strictlymedicinalseeds.comPlantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) seeds, organic
Family: Plantain (Plantaginaceae) Hardy to Zones 3 to 10 Herbaceous perennial native to Europe and naturalized worldwide. As a food, young leaves may be incorporated in salads or as a potherb. Traditional usage (TWM): antimicrobial and antiinflammatory…strictlymedicinalseeds.com
I also grow Purple Plantain, a broadleaf with variegation. My sulcata could care less about the color, but they look good and add color to a salad. In the past I grew frissy plantain. The edges of the leaf are curley. It looks a lot like endive and is more tender than either the broadleaf or narrow leaf plantain. As my sulcata grew in size the tender leaf aspect was not so important. I haven't grown this in several years because it did not survive our winter here in San Diego as well as the other plantains. Great for feeding those small torts.
Good to know! I was hoping when I found some I could re plant. Now all I have to do is locate some. I feel like me and plantain are in a battle. So far, the latter is winningIn my area of Southern California, the only places I've seen plantain is mixed in with lawn grasses, like on school playfields. I recently dug some up at a small golf course near my home. I noticed it seems to grow more prolifically where the ground is wetter. It transplants very well, my Russian is preferring it over the mallow weed, and it started reseeding itself within just several weeks.
Is it bristly ox tongue Tom?This is not plantain, but it is good tortoise food. That is one of the many that I can't keep the name straight, but I've been feeding small amounts of that one to all of my tortoises for decades.
I’m literally seeing it all over the place now. I take my daughter on little walks and bike rides around the neighborhood so she can get some exercise. It’s amazing how I’m constantly looking around to see all the plants in the surrounding area. Before my tort, I honestly never paid attention.It seems like no one can remember the name of bristly ox-tongue but that’s what it is, one of the dandelion relatives. It should stick to your shirt if you rub a leaf against it.
I guess we were fortunate to have this pandemic in the spring time. Not so much for us but for others who live in colder winter climates. People will still be able to forage for tort food through this whole mess. If it came about in late fall people would be forced to go out to the stores more to get fresh greens during the winter months. Always look on the bright side of life!It does grow everywhere, at least by me. The earliest one to appear in the spring, the last to die out in the summer.
I’d like to say our strawberries are for us but sadly she started eating them immediately this year. In prior years she only ate leaves high in tannins (roses, berries) in late summer. This spring she has taken no prisoners, lol.
It must be reassuring to be growing food, in case you can’t get out to buy it at some point. I’m just picking weeds right now and hoping we have them for a while. She can live off what’s in our yard but she’d decimate it if we weren’t offering additional food.