Medicinal Plants »Burdock

Burdock

Medicinal edible root with an earthy flavor similar to parsnips (root can also be tinctured fresh for future medicinal use)
Nutritious food source rich in vitamins and minerals easily eaten in soups, salads, stir fry’s, and roasts
A favorite restorative tonic among herbalists, used to support liver and kidney function
Due to these functions, burdock is effective in addressing many skin maladies such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema
Bitter properties that stimulate bile production and improve digestion
Leaves of Burdock are used fresh topically as poultices to treat boils, rashes, bites, and infections
Seeds of Burdock can be used to stimulate immune response and some herbalists use them to treat colds and flus

Extremely common throughout North America due to aggressive growth habits and sturdy constitution
Known for prickly burrs that stick to clothing, fur, etc.
Grows 3 – 4’ tall in its first year with large, deep green, heart shaped, and fuzzy leaves
In the 2nd year, Burdock grows flowering stalks which can reach 7 – 8’
Flowers are pinkish-purple and found at the top of the burrs
Taproots are dense and fleshy the first year, growing up to 2’ in depth
In the 2nd year, taproots become fibrous and woody, with a hollowed out center and reduced medicinal value

Harvest roots in the fall at the end of the first season of plant growth (before the stalks appear)
Loosen the soil around the plant, then dig by hand with a spade, fork, or shovel – carefully work the root out of the ground, maintaining as much of it as possible without breakage
Cut up and wash long roots with a scrub brush, then cook and eat, dry in a single layer on a rack, or tincture for later use

Carpenter, Jeff, and Carpenter, Melanie. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015.