Buckhorn plantain is an annual, biennial, or perennial broadleaf plant, found throughout California to about 5200 feet (1600 m), except in deserts and the Great Basin. It inhabits agricultural land and other disturbed sites. In apples, it is a host for rosy apple aphid, which reduces yield. Members of the plantain family form basal rosettes and have leafless spikes of inconspicuous flowers. Buckhorn plantain is more tolerant of drought than other plantains. Some buckhorn plantain biotypes can tolerate soils with high heavy metal levels.

Structure: Stalks grow 1′ to 2′ tall; rosette is full rather than prostrate

Life Cycle: Perennial

What To Look For: Tall stalks with “foxtails” at the tip, growing from rosette of elliptical leaves

Growth Period: April through July