Common Burdock Arctium minus Name: Arctium minus Common name(s): Wild Rhubarb, Burweed, Beggar’s Buttons, Cocklebur Family: Asteraceae (Aster/Sunflower Family) Native: Europe United States Distribution Map native(adapted fromintroduced data available at https://plants.usda.gov)both absent/unreported native, no county data introduced, no county data both, no county data Arctium minus in bloom. Plant Profile: Habitat: Waste areas, disturbed areas, gardens, open fields, ditches. Loves full sun. Leaf Shape: Ovate (egg-shaped, oval). Extremely large basal leaves—up to 20 inches long by 12 inches wide. Leaf Margins: Entire, lobed, or sometimes toothed. Mature basal leaves extremely wavy. Leaf Alternate along flower stalk. Arrangement: Flower: ¾-inch round flower heads are made up of many hooked barbs (bracts) on the bottom (that form the burr) and a cluster of erect purplish tubular flowers (disk flowers) on top that give the flower head a thistle-like shaving brush appearance. Height: Second year flower stalk can grow up to 5 feet tall. Life cycle: Biennial. Basal rosette of large leaves first year, then branched flower stalk in year two. Distinct “shaving brush” purple flower with many hooked bracts underneath. This product is authorized for private use only. All other rights are reserved. Unless expressly authorized by law or in writing by copyright owner, any copying distribution or Common Burdock 1 any other use of this product or any part of it is strictly prohibited. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction may result in severe criminal and civil penalties. Common Burdock Arctium minus Creek’s Commentary The bane of all wool producers is Burdock’s hallmark parts of Burdock get bitter fairly quickly as the plant identifying feature, the small circular cockleburs matures. Anytime after mid-Spring, you’re probably made from the numerous modified bracts on the better off focusing on the very substantial root. flowerhead. It truly is one of the most masterfully designed methods of seed dispersal in the natural world. An ideal Burdock size for harvest- A classic first-year Common ing young leaf stems. Burdock. Notice the extremely wavy leaf margins. (Perfect specimen for harvesting root) Macro photo of hooked bracts that cling to clothing and animal fur for seed dispersal. I’ll warn you, digging the root is a chore. Burdock A slightly larger species of Burdock (Arctium lappa) is likes to grow in compacted soil, which doesn’t help. a cultivated crop in Japan, known in that language as But regardless, the root grows straight down and will “Gobo.” It’s the thick, fleshy taproot that is harvested. require a shovel. My impatience rarely allows me to It is used in soups, stews, sushi, stir-fries, and even excavate the entire root. consumed pickled. It has an earthy, slightly sweet Every fall, I must get flavor that is rather unique in the root world. In fact, in at least one good Burdock root is available in the produce section of game of Burdock my local Whole Foods store. This is a great way to Darts. I hang up an ease into eating Burdock root if it’s out of season in old wool blanket, use your area and you feel intimidated by digging your chalk to draw a target, own the first time. take 5 long backward paces, and throw I’ve eaten all of Burdock’s Burdock burrs, which choice edible parts. The stick with ease. young leaves can be boiled in a couple chang- es of water (to reduce bitterness) and eaten as A beautiful second-year Common Burdock with flower stalk at sunny a pot herb. The younger forest edge. leaf stems can be pre- pared like green beans and have a celery-like In 1941, a French inventor by the name of George de Mestral texture and appear- was on a hunting trip and noticed his pants and his dog’s fur were covered in Burdock burs. This gave him the idea for a way Freshly dug and washed ance. These can also be to fasten things together, an alternate to button and zippers. first-year roots of Common candied with sugar or Burdock. Notice the thick rind He would ultimately invent Velcro using this same concept even pickled using your is peeled away from root on he discovered in nature. Read the entire fascinating story at right to reveal cream-colored favorite pickling recipe. https://bit.ly/2FBQBMn. interior. Pretty much all the green 2 Common Burdock This product is authorized for private use only. All other rights are reserved. Unless expressly authorized by law or in writing by copyright owner, any copying distribution or any other use of this product or any part of it is strictly prohibited. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction may result in severe criminal and civil penalties. Common Burdock Arctium minus Unique Identifying Features 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 1 Massive basal rosette of large oval to heart-shaped leaves with wavy margins. 2 Basal leaf stalks (petioles) have maroonish coloring, especially toward base. 3 Leaf petioles (stems) are hollow. 4 Leaves are sparsely hairy on top side, but especially woolly underneath. Underside of leaf is also very pale in comparison to upper. 5 Leaves grow alternate along flower stalk. 6 Purplish flower head with hooked bracts underneath. 7 Leaves often have heart-shaped (cordate) base and pointed tip but are generally egg-shaped (ovate). 8 Leaves become smaller and less heart-shaped the higher you get on the flower stalk. 9 Vertically ridged and sometimes maroon-tinged flower stalk. 10 Leaves have a central gutter (called an adaxial groove) that funnels water to the root of the plant. This product is authorized for private use only. All other rights are reserved. Unless expressly authorized by law or in writing by copyright owner, any copying distribution or Common Burdock 3 any other use of this product or any part of it is strictly prohibited. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction may result in severe criminal and civil penalties. Common Burdock Arctium minus Harvest & Preparation Best Edible Parts: Warnings / Notes / Considerations continued: Taproot (first-year plants all year, second-year plant only As with most biennial plants, the second-year root becomes hard until the flower stalk starts to grow) and woody as the stored nutrients are used to fuel the growing flower stalk for reproduction and seed dispersal. Eat only the Young leaves of first-year rosette roots from first-year plants. Young leaf stalks (petioles) Commonly Cooked/Prepared Like: Great Burdock (Arctium lappa), is Common Burdock’s larger relative. It is edible in the same way. The easiest way to tell them Leaves: Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) (boiled in a couple apart is the size. I’ve seen Great Burdocks close to 10 feet tall changes of water to remove bitterness in more mature with flower heads nearly 2 inches in diameter. The flower heads leaves) are also at the end of much longer stalks than Common Burdock, which oftentimes appear to be sessile (without a stalk).. Leaf stalks: Green beans Roots: Potato Many call the rind on the root My Favorite Ways to Eat It: inedible, and it’s often recom- mended that it be discarded. Stalks from young leaves sautéed with garlic and olive oil I used to do that, but I have for a few minutes. developed an entire root phi- Root from first-year plants in soups, stews, and stir-fries. losophy. Removing the rind does help the flavor (slightly) Warnings / Notes / Considerations: but the cost of the PIA (pain in the a-double-snakes) taxes Photo on right: Notice the rind layer around this Burdock root. I will is greater to me than the remove it before cooking sometimes, depending on my level of patience at the time. reduction in flavor. Hearty Ramen with Burdock I must admit, I’m a sucker for a good bowl of ramen noodles. Directions: These days, I buy the slightly more expensive packs ($3) with the Put a pot of water on to boil (a little more than the ramen pack gluten free noodles made from rice flour. I use these packs as the calls for). Peel and slice your Burdock Root and carrots. Cut all base for creating a fantastic the other vegetables into hearty chunks and toss everything into bowl of ramen by adding the boiling water and simmer for a few minutes. As the veggies in a variety of mixed soften, add in the ramen flavor pack. Simmer on low for a few vegetables, which often more minutes. Finally, add in the ramen noodles and leave on includes wild edibles. heat according to instructions (typically around 4 minutes). Here is an easy recipe for Remove from heat, spoon into bowls, and serve. Add salt and one of these ramen bowls pepper to taste. using Burdock Root. This is a great meal that only takes about 10 minutes to make from start to finish (not including digging the Burdock Root). Ingredients: 1 Ramen Pack 3 Carrots 1 Baby Bok Choy 2 Cloves Garlic 3–6 Green Onions 1 Shallot 1–3 Burdock Roots (depending on size) 1–2 Star Anise A big helping of Hearty Ramen with Burdock 4 Common Burdock This product is authorized for private use only. All other rights are reserved. Unless expressly authorized by law or in writing by copyright owner, any copying distribution or any other use of this product or any part of it is strictly prohibited. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction may result in severe criminal and civil penalties..