Burdock

Burdock (Arctium lappa)

Burdock's botanica name (as seen above) is derived from the Greek arctos, meaning bear, and the Celtic llap,meaning hand, or to seize. These words refer to the infamous
round seed pouches of burdock, covered in prickly hools which seize the clothing, fur,
and hair of all bodies grazing past burdock's mature brown burrs. The plant propagaters far and wide by hitching a ride on sheep, dogs, humans and cows, spreading its medicine through countryside and city lot. Velco fasteners were originally patterened upon the burrs of Arctium, and the seeds inside are potent medicine.

Some of the folknames of the burdock are: beggar's buttons, stick tights, cockle burr, clotbur, and batweed, along with HGappy Major, Hardock, Hurrburr, mand Personata.

  Cunnngham's "Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs" gives these aspects and correspondences to Burdock:

Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
and Powers are Protection and Healing. 

Magickal uses: Cast around the home to ward off negativity. Add to protection incenses and use in such spells. Gather burdock roots in the waning Moon, dry and then cut them into small pieces. String these on red thread (like beads) and wear for protection against evil and negativity.  The leaves of burdock,when laid to the soles of the feet, help to cure gout.

In "A City Herba;" Ms. Silverman writes: "Burdock was a favorite herb of Venus, and therefore useful in love matters, to which this old charm attests: a girl picks a burr and names it for her lover. She then
throws it against her skirt, or has a friend do so. If it sticks, he is true; if it does not, he is faithless. It was also averred that the young stalks of Burdock, peeled and eaten raw or boilded in the broth of fat meat, were not only pleasant to eat but 'increased seed and provoked bodily lust.'  Contrariewise, however, another claim that the root of Burdock boiled, soaked and eaten with fat meat 'cures venery'
(lust).

Botanical Description:  Burdock is a large, variable-looking plant. The first year's growth is a large rosette of ruffled, heart-shaped leaves.

The second year, this rosette sends up a thick many-branched stem from two to four feet high. The lower leaves are large, heart-shaped, and light green, with downy gray undersides. The upper leaves are egg-shaped and smaller.

  Burdock blooms through mid-July through September. The flower petals are purple and bristly looking; they protrude from a cuplike receptacle thickly covered with hooked prickles. These receptacles and bracts, but not the petals, eventually become the familiar dry brown burrs that, clinging to anything they brush against, distribute Burdock far and wide.

It's tenacious taproot frequently grows straight down through the soil to a depth of three feet or more. It cannot be pulled out of the grund, but must be dug up,. Any pieces that remain in the soil will become new plants.

  Burdock is an alien. Originally from Europe, it was introduced by early settlers, quickly escpaed cultivation, and is now found, throughout the United States. Despite its name Burdock is not a true Dock, but is a member of Compositae, or Daisy, family. Some botanists recognize different species; to the lay person all are quite similar in appearance. Burdock is a biennial and reproduces by seeds.

Cooking with Burdock for Autumn Nourishment

Autumn is root time and I have to say that my favorite root of all has got to be burdock! I love the way it tastes and its slow-acting, nourishing medicine. 



This plant has a thick, long taproot in its first year of growth. That’s the root you’ll be looking for. Second year plants are putting their energy into seeds, and will only have a shriveled root remaining.



This year I wasn’t able to harvest burdock root for myself, but we bought some at our local co-op grocery store, and I’ve been integrating it into our family diet in as many was as I can think of over the past month. I want to share some of the ways I came up with, but first I’ll tell you some of the benefits of doing so.



Susun Weed in Healing Wise says that burdock root helps “provide optimum nutrition to the glandular and immune systems, liver, kidneys, blood, lungs, and nerves.” Chromium, iron, magnesium, silicon, thiamine, and inulin are among its many useful constituents. Fresh root is also high in vitamin C. Not only is it packed with nutrition; the mucilaginous fiber of the root will absorb, bind and remove poisons and toxins in our digestive tracts.



Sound good?



One more quote from Susun for you: “Longevity, steady energy, sexual vitality, and freedom from chronic disease and cancer are a few of the reported effects of long-term frequent use of burdock.”

Okay, let’s get cooking!




The first dish I created was a simple combination of roasted roots. I cut up potatoes, carrots, beets, kohlrabi and burdock into bite sized pieces and put them on a cookie sheet. I then tossed them in olive oil and sprinkled a garlic salt combination of spices called Spike on top, and put them into a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes, stirring them with a spatula every fifteen minutes to help keep them from sticking to the cookie sheet. All the roots together were delicious, and this really felt like a perfect fall meal!

The next week, I stir-fried a sliced burdock root with broccoli and onions and served this as a side dish with fish. I also cut them up an included them in my mix of vegetables to go into burritos (this was one of the most effective ways to get the kids to eat some burdock without them even realizing it.). I also put burdock root in my pot of chili. Finally, I added cut up pieces of the root to a lamb stew that I made in the crock-pot. Are you getting the idea? Truly there are endless ways to incorporate this tasty root into our fall diets.

The above cooking information come from Herb Mentor,......