Japanese Burdock

Arctium lappa
Family: Compositae

Table of Contents

1. Description
2. Origin
3. Uses
4. Culture
5. Sources
6. Thanks to ...

Description

This biennial herb grows up to 1.5 m tall and has large leaves that are dark green on the top and downy gray on the bottom. Flowers are purple and thistle-like with hooked bracts (burrs).

| Top of Page |

Origin

Europe, Asia: It is said that the inventor of Velcro got the idea from the Burdock seeds. The large leaves were used as masks in ancient Greek drama. Burdock root constituents include: inulin (27-45%), essential oil (0.06 - 0.18%), resin, polyactetylenes, organic acids; seeds contain fixed oils, glycoside, chorogenic acid; leaves contain arctiol, fukinone, taraxasterol.

| Top of Page |

Uses of Japanese Burdock and claims

• Culinary: Roots can be eaten raw in salads, steamed, and added to stir fries.
• Medicinal: thought to be a mild diuretic, antibiotic, antiseptic, detoxifying
• Industrial: none

| Top of Page |

Culture

• Propagation: Japanese burdock is very easy to propagate from seed and germinates in 1-2 weeks. Seeds can be planted directly into the field in spring and then thinned to 6 inches. One quarter of an ounce of seeds will plant 30 m of row.
• Soil Type: Thrives in rich soil and if planted in a rotation, will not need to be fertilized.
• Cultivation: Biennial. Hardy to zone 3. Space plants 15 cm apart in rows 60 - 90 cm apart.
• Harvest: Roots are usually harvested in the early fall of the first year or in the spring of the second year. Old roots become pithy and bitter. The roots are long (up to 1 m) and may require specialized harvest equipment. An average marketable root is about 225 gm. Some growers cultivate in beds mixed with wood chips or sawdust to loosen the soil.
• Drying: Wash the roots before drying. Dry between 32 and 48 degrees C. Roots may be cut lengthwise to facilitate drying

| Top of Page |

Sources

• Bisset, N.G. 1994. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. CRC Press.
• Bown, D. 1995. Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. RD Press.
• Bremness, L. 1994. Herbs. Stoddart Publishing Co. Ltd.
• Chevallier, A. 1996. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Reader's Digest Association.
• Keville, K. 1994. Herbs an Illustrated Encyclopedia. Friedman/Fairfax.
• Sturdivant, L, T.Blakely. 1999. Medicinal Herbs in the Garden, Field & Marketplace. San Juan Naturals.

Thanks to

This demonstration garden was a result of the efforts of Dr. Alan McKeown, Vegetable Scientist, University of Guelph and was made possible with grants from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the Tobacco Diversification Program.

| Top of Page |