Our 2025 EFN seed catalogue is now live! Featuring over 130 new varieties and over 640 total varieties, sourced from over 50 different growers from across the country. Huge thanks to all of our growers, volunteers, and to our stellar seed-house team in Minnesota! Each of you make this work possible.

'Hermit Island' Sea Plantain
'Hermit Island' Sea Plantain
'Hermit Island' Sea Plantain
'Hermit Island' Sea Plantain

'Hermit Island' Sea Plantain

Regular price $4.25 Sale

Plantago maritima

Origin: Hermit Island, Maine

Improvement status: Wild

Seeds per packet: ~40

BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED

Life cycle: Perennial

This is a diverse mix of the best-tasting wild sea plantains growing at the legendary and spectacular Hermit Island campground (actually a peninsula), on Casco Bay in Maine, collected by Nate. Sea plantain is a wild perennial related to the plantain commonly used to treat mosquito bites and other stings and itches. This species is similarly medicinal, but also much better tasting as a vegetable. The somewhat succulent leaves keep for days off the plant unrefrigerated, and they grow in saline soils, which is potentially a valuable trait in places where irrigation has left soils too salty for many plants. We believe sea plantain has great potential as a domesticated perennial vegetable crop, but it's going to need a lot of time and attention.

Please join us in working to domesticate this awesome perennial vegetable!