Hey, I Know That Plant!

Day 236: "Hey, I know that plant!" I am willing to bet that at least 99% of my readers will recognize this common species. Chances are, you even played with it as a kid, bending the stem in a circle, folding the end down behind the head, and then sliding the bent stem forward until the tip popped off and launched toward the back of a friend's head. We called them "shooters," and my aim was deadly. They grew along the roadsides, in cracks in sidewalks and driveways, and around the edge of the school playground where they were readily accessible during recess. Yeah, those! You remember, don't you?

Okay, let's see a show of hands. Who knows what they're really called? Yep, I thought I'd stump you!

Plantago lanceolata, aka Buckhorn, English Plantain or half a dozen other common names is as familiar to us as dandelions and clover, yet most people will not be able to supply even one correct answer when quizzed. Why? I'm afraid I have no answer to that question, but we can remedy it easily enough. The next time you see Buckhorn in this phase, pick a handful of "shooters" and pop a few of your friends. In the split second that their minds revert to the days and games of childhood, shout, "BUCKHORN! Gotcha!" Kids learn most quickly when it's fun.