Burdock
Family Name (English): Daisy, Aster
Family Name (Latin): Compositae
Latin Name: Arctium lappa
Common Names: Lappa, Thorny Burr, Beggar's Buttons, Clothburr (1:62)
Native American Names: called "Kanëhtuwánës" by the Iroquois confederacy (www.NativeAmericanBotanics.com [1])
Related Species: Artcium minus, A. tomentosum (2:90)
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Sitting With/Dreams/Sense of the Plant: Burdock and I sat for a while on a brisk fall afternoon at TESC organic farm. As I sat with it I thought about how and why it was once considered a bad plant by some of the Natives. It eventually was recognized as a gifted plant. It speaks to me and tells me that it strengthens from the inside out and that it is here to get to the root of the problem.
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Body System Affiliations: (2:95-99)
1. Digestive system
2. Urinary system
3. Lymphatic system
4. Kidney
5. Liver
6. Immune system
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Botanical Description:
Habit: Biennial root /herb (3:144)
Size: grows 2-5 feet tall with stout stems and wide branches (1:62)
Arrangement: Alternate
Leaves: Lower:grey greened leaves elongated heart shaped leaves with wooly undersides, can grow up to 18" long. Upper: are much smaller than lower and more egg shaped in form. (3:143) (4:305)
Flowers: thistle pokey florets are tubular in size, the stamens are dark purple and the styles whitish. Infamous for their burrs that stick to everything. (3:143)
Fruit: seed fruit that has long, rough and wrinkled, and covered with short, stiff hairs, which are easily rubbed off.(www.sixdirections.com/ healing/remedy02.htm) (www.henriette'sherbal.com [2])
Bark: reddish stem
Underground Parts: Taproot.
Personal Observation and Description: When I was first approached with burdock I thought I stumbled upon rhubarb. Its stern and broad leaves had strikingly beautiful reddish stalks in its first year of growth; the first year is when it can be dug up for roots. The roots are edible when cooked. In the 2nd year burdock flowers into beautiful purple thistles but also has annoying burrs that stick to everything.
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Ecology:
Habitat: grows in moist, fertile soils in temperate zones, especially waste sites and road sides. (2:90)
Range: North America to Asia and Europe. (1:62)
Native Where: Eurasia (6:Native American Botanic-online)
Ecological Relationships: considered a noxious weed but used widely in Asia
Personal Observation of Locations Observed, Dates and Description of Plants:
On 10/07/06 at TESC organic farm I noticed some burdock growing in the herb garden. It was clearly in its first year without any flowers. I used this time to try and harvest the taproot but had difficulties and broke the root in half. On 10/14/06 at the Skokomish Indian reservation, I visited The Gift's garden an observed burdock towards the end of its life cycle. It was full grown and there were thistles to indicate that. Care should be taken when touching burdock due to its wooly bitter undersides and flowers spikiness that can poke you.
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Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:
Food: Burdock's fibrous root can be cooked and used as a fall food source. The seeds of burdock are collected in the fall and can be sprouted and eaten as a bitter green leaf (2:104). Leaves and stalks pickled (2:90).
Materials/Technology: The discovery of velcro came about when a man by the name of Georges de Mestral was walking his dog and the hooks of burdock burrs stuck to him and his dog. (www.wikipedia.com/burdock [3])
Medicine:
Part Used: root, seeds as oil, leaves
Medicinal Actions: nutritive tonic, alterative, diaphoretic, diuretic, stomachic, urinary tonic, adaptogen, anti-pyretic
Indications:
Body System Associations: Liver, Kidney, Lungs, Stomach, Immune
Constituents: root: essential oil, nearly 45% inulin; seeds: arctiin, 1- arctigenin, isoarctigenin, arachidonic acid, steric acid,oleic acid, linolenic acid, palmitic acid, gobosterin, vitamins A and B2, essential and fatty oils, calcium, phosphorous, sodium, and iron. (6:60)
Applications: tincture, oil, externally as a poultice.
Preparation: Burdock works very slowly and deeply. Tinctures can be made with a menstruum (water, alcohol) and the dry burdock root. Oil is derived from the seed and from that a tincture or a fluid extract can be prepared. Leaves can be used as an external poultice as well as prepared as an infusion. (3:144)
Pharmacy: Use for a minimum of three to six months. Dry root: make a decoction of 1oz. dry root in 1.5 pints water, simmered down to one pint. Use 1/2 cup three times daily. Tincture: use 60 drops or 1/2 tsp. three times daily. Seed: oil from the seeds is an excellent topical for skin conditions. (5:18)
Cautions: Should not be used during pregnancy because of its oxytoxic effect. Seeds should not be used in conditions of diarrhea or patients with open sores and carbuncles. (5:17)
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Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships:
Food: Japanese call burdock 'Gobo' and have eaten it as a vegetable. They believe it offers gifts of longevity and sexual vitality. Ayurvedic healers consider burdock root an effective remedy against colds, flu, sore throat, and pneumonia. (7:78)
Materials/Technology: Leaf used to carry butter to markets.
Medicine:
Indigenous Group: Cherokee and Iroquois (www.sixdirections.com/ healing/remedy02.htm)
Part Used: root
Medicinal Actions: The Cherokee and Iroquois used burdock to purify blood. (www.sixdirections.com/healingremedy02.htm [4])
Indications: cell damage and aging and for deficient conditions.
Energetics: A bit bitter and pungent, cool, moist. Disperses wind/heat (esp. seeds), tonifies qi of kidneys and bladder, stomach, and gallbladder. Clears heat and damp and dissolves stagnancy, raises qi. (5:17)
Harvest: harvest in fall during the first year of growth or in the very early spring of the 2nd year.
Storage: store fresh burdock in root cellar like carrots and they will maintain their integrity all winter long. (7:78)
Preparation: Decoction: put 1 teaspoonful of the root into a cup of water, bring to boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. As a kitchen preparation roots are roasted and used a coffee as well a sauteed vegetable.
Applications: Leaves applied to places troubled, decoction.
Pharmacy: apply leaves as a poultice to any external area. Decoction taken 1-3 times a day.
Cautions: none mentioned.
Propagation:
Technique:
Timing: 6-10 days to germinate and sown into ground in August
Personal Experience: none yet with propagation.
Harvest:
Plant Part: root
Season of Harvest: 1st year in fall and 2nd year in the early spring.
Method of Harvest: roots were dug up with a tool
Ecological Considerations of Harvest: do not over harvest.
Cultural Considerations of Harvest: Keep a piece of burdock root in your magical bag to honor one's ability to search for and find nourishment for the deepest parts of oneself, and offer deep healing for others. (7:78)
Cautions: none found under indigenous.
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Personal Experience:
Food: Used root to make a braised root dish with carrots, sesame seeds, vinegar,and shoyu. I remember eating this side dish with a bowl of white rice when I was growing up.
Materials/Technology: none found
Medicine:
Part Used: root
Desired Medicinal Actions: as a nourishing tonic for liver, kidney and deficient conditions. To cleanse the skin from inside out, as a blood purifier and strengthener, and to harmonize actions of all organs.
Targeted Indications: skin conditions such as eczema
Harvest: Fall is the best time to harvest the root
Procurement:
Source: Olympia Co-op
Condition: fresh and organic
Cost: $3.50 lb.
Other Procurement Information: Locally grown by Wa. farm
Application/Preparation/Pharmacy:
Applications: Gobo braised w/sesame seeds as a "Japanese dish".
Preparation: First, I diced up gobo root and carrots. Then I stir fried it with oil for 25 minutes with a tamari base and lastly sprinkled toasted sesame seeds .
Pharmacy: As a tonic take daily for up to three years.
Reason/Purpose: As a great food source in the fall and a blood cleanser and kidney/liver tonic.
Experience: Burdock is a great tasting plant and I feel it is a great wise herb that makes you stronger from the inside out.
Cautions based on experience: Do not take during pregnancy. Cooked root used as food is OK.
Cautions: Avoid during pregnancy because of its oxytoxic effect..
Other notes/interests: "The use of burdock in Russia can be traced back to many generations both as table herb and a medicine cabinet herb. If you happen to see persons digging a hole in Russia it could very well be they are preparing a pit for fish or game to be wrapped in burdock leaves (they do not use any additional seasoning). A fire is made in the pit and when the ground is hot enough they take away the ash and charcoal, place the carefully wrapped morsel in the bottom and cover with the surrounding sides, which have reached a very high temperature. In a short time they have a delicacy that barbececuing cannot equal". (1:64)