It is native to central and western Europe, including Great Britain and introduced to parts of the north-east United States.

Its generic name is derived from the Latin for sole; like other members of the genus Plantago, it should not be confused with the unrelated plantain, a starchy banana.

Plantago media grows in damp grassy meadows up to an altitude of 2000 m. A slender stalk of between 5 and 50 cm develops from a basal rosette of finely-haired leaves.

It is calcicole, characteristic of soils on chalk or limestone, growing in grassland, meadows, lawns and waste places.

Archeological finds testify to its use[clarification needed] during the Roman era in Britain.