Burdock

Scientific Name: Arcticum

Identification: Large wavy fuzzy like leaves with hollow stalks that can grow up to 6 ft. tall. Mature plants flower pink and purple, and then dry with sticky ‘burs’.

Benefits: Full of antioxidants, detoxifying. Reduces inflammation, is known to aid in curing cancer. Contains vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and manganese.

Burdock is one of those wild edibles that almost everyone is familiar with and if you’ve ever ventured into the woods, you’ve likely had a run in with the almighty burdock. The dry burs will stick to you as you walk by, and they’re not always easy to get off, especially if they get stuck on one of your pets, you’ll be picking those burs out for quite a while. They were actually the inspiration for velcro, and rightfully so, as they have tiny hooks at the very end of each little spike.

The greens can be cooked and eaten when the plant is young. Roots can be harvested and dehydrated to be used for tea or other tinctures and medicines. Ingesting burdock will help detoxify your blood, as well as the lymphatic system, and it’s also known to be an aphrodisiac!

There are many added benefits not just from the plants themselves, but the soil the plants are growing in. All our unaltered earth is rich with natural minerals and plants absorb all those minerals as they grow. It’s important to have local vitamin rich foods for that very reason, the soil, and the pollen! Happy foraging my friends!