Arctium minus (Burdock)

Arctium minus Bernh.

Burdock, common burdock

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Arctium	From Greek arktos, “bear,” because of the roughness of the burrs
Species	minus	“Less”—a smaller variety

About plant names...

Burrs. Burdock. I used to be terrified of them, after once watching my parents spend hours picking them out of my sister’s hair. But the system these plants use to spread their seeds is inventive. The seed pods, about ⅜" (1 cm) in diameter, are festooned with dozens of tiny hooks that latch onto passers-by. Burdock is native to temperate regions in Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East, but now naturalized and widespread in North America.

The “Bur” in burdock is thought to be a contraction of the French bourre (from Latin burra), a lock of wool—perhaps the easiest place to find burrs. “Dock” describes the large basal leaves.

Identification: Burdock is related to thistles, and you can see this clearly in the purple (sometimes white) flower clusters, though the leaves are not prickly. The plants reach 3-6' (91-182 cm) in height, and the flowers are beautiful at close range. The plant as a whole is somewhat ungainly though. Most of the leaves, which are dark green and wooly underneath, are large, up to 24" (60 cm)], and low-lying—a basal rosette. To my mind they somewhat resemble rhubarb leaves. See also Arctium lappa, a larger version of this plant.

Edibility. Burdock roots are edible, benefitting from soaking and requiring cooking like other starches. The flower stalks are also edible, while other parts of the plant are not. In Fiery Foods That I Love, by Paul Prudhomme, the Flank Steak with Black Mushrooms recipe includes burdock roots. Sautéed, the roots are used in the several dishes, including the Japanese appetizer kinpira gobō. In some marts the roots are available from commercial growers. The roots of burdock appear very similar to those of common and highly poisonous deadly nightshade, so be careful about collection and make sure any commercial sources are trustworthy.

In 1948 George de Mestrel, a Swiss inventor and hiker, found his dog covered with burrs during a walk, and, after examining the burrs under a microscope, invented Velcro.

Online References:

Arctium minus on Missouriplants.com

Arctium minus on the Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide

Arctium minus at Illinois Wildflowers

Arctium minus on eFloras

Arctium minus on Montana Plant Life

8/28/2014 · High Road to Taos, New Mexico
≈ 7 × 5" (17 × 12 cm)

4/29/2007 · Plum Island, Massachusetts · By Philip A. Despo

8/28/2014 · High Road to Taos, New Mexico
≈ 19 × 12" (47 × 31 cm)

8/14/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm) ID is uncertain

8/1/2009 · Stan & Connie’s, Falmouth, Maine
≈ 6 × 4½" (16 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain

Lappa minor Hill

Arctium minus description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

9/7/2021 · Kennebec River Bridge, Bowdoinham, Maine
≈ 4 × 3½" (11 × 9 cm)

8/1/2009 · Stan & Connie’s, Falmouth, Maine
≈ 5 × 5" (13 × 12 cm) ID is uncertain

8/14/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4½" (14 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain

8/14/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 5" (13 × 12 cm) ID is uncertain

8/28/2014 · High Road to Taos, New Mexico
≈ 15 × 10" (37 × 25 cm)

7/20/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4½" (16 × 11 cm)

10/17/2016 · Mt. Greylock, Lanesborough, Massachusetts
≈ 4½ × 3½" (12 × 8.7 cm)

11/15/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 3½ × 3" (9.4 × 7.9 cm)

8/28/2014 · High Road to Taos, New Mexico
≈ 10 × 7" (25 × 16 cm)

Basal leaves · 7/31/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 31 × 21" (78 × 52 cm)

Range:

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