Scientific Name<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nArctium lappa<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\nFamily<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nAsteraceae<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\nAlso known as<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nGobo root, Beggar\u2019s Buttons, Thorny Burr, Happy Major.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\nHabitat<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nNative to the temperate regions, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, and from the British Isles through Russia, and the Middle East to India, China, Taiwan and Japan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
It is naturalized almost everywhere and is usually found in disturbed areas, especially in soil rich in nitrogen. It is commonly cultivated in Japan where it gives its name to a particular construction technique, burdock piling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\nDescription<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nGreater burdock is a biennial plant, rather tall, reaching as much as 3 m. Burdock is an example of a despised weed that gives us generous and powerful food and medicine. Its long taproot grows deep into the earth, pulling up nutrients to create medicine that herbalists use for chronic or deep illnesses. The burrs, which are a bane of ranchers, farmers, and animal owners, protect the powerful seeds that are strong acting against acute infections.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In the first year\u2019s growth, it develops large simple basal leaves that grow near to the ground. It produces a long taproot that is pithy white in the center and covered in a thin brown skin. Burdock root is best harvested in the fall of the first year of growth. Because burdock likes to grow in compact soils and the roots go deep into the earth, harvesting the wild root can be quite challenging.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In the second year, it forms a central flower stalk that can grow from 3 to 6 feet tall. The flower is a purple thistle-like flower that then develops into a structure containing small hard fruits, commonly, but technically incorrectly, called seeds. After the fruits are developed, the individual plant dies. No need to grab your tissues, however, as it has assuredly done a good job of reproducing for the next generation. Those dried burrs quickly grab onto anything they come in contact with, whether it\u2019s animal fur or your favorite jacket. They burrow in and hitch a ride to spread their seeds far and wide. Burdock burrs may have been the inspiration for Velcro\u00ae.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Burdock will grow in pretty much any type of soil.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\nIdentifying Features for Burdock<\/strong>:<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLeaves<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nLarge, alternating, cordiform leaves that have a long petiole and are pubescent on the underside.<\/p>\r\n
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\r\nFlowers<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nThe flowers are purple and grouped in globular capitula, united in clusters. They appear in mid-summer, from July to September. The capitula are surrounded by an involucre made out of many bracts, each curving to form a hook, allowing them to be carried long distances on the fur of animals.<\/p>\r\n