Plant ID Pages

Plant ID Pages

Plant ID Pages

Hummingbird moth with bee balm blossom
Hummingbird moth with bee balm blossom

Burdock (Arctium spp.)

Velcro, root medicine, and way more than a weed.

What It Is

Burdock is a biennial plant known for its massive taproot, fuzzy leaves, and burr-covered seed heads that inspired Velcro.

The root has long been used in food and herbal traditions- think sweet, earthy, and grounding.

Velcro, root medicine, and way more than a weed.

What It Is

Burdock is a biennial plant known for its massive taproot, fuzzy leaves, and burr-covered seed heads that inspired Velcro.

The root has long been used in food and herbal traditions- think sweet, earthy, and grounding.

Use It Like This

  • Peel, slice, and roast (like carrots or parsnips)

  • Simmer into soups or stews

  • Dry and powder for teas or tincture bases

  • Shave raw into slaws with vinegar or sesame

  • Ferment into wild burdock pickles

Tip: Second-year roots are tougher. First-year burdock is ideal for culinary use.

Harvest Notes

  • Use a shovel or narrow spade — roots go deep

  • Harvest in fall of year one or early spring of year two

  • Watch for lookalikes like cocklebur and curly dock

  • Always dig away from contaminated soils or roadsides


    Herbal Snapshot

    Traditionally used for skin health, digestion, and lymphatic support.

    Consult a qualified herbalist if using for therapeutic purposes.

Harvest Notes

  • Use a shovel or narrow spade — roots go deep

  • Harvest in fall of year one or early spring of year two

  • Watch for lookalikes like cocklebur and curly dock

  • Always dig away from contaminated soils or roadsides


    Herbal Snapshot

    Traditionally used for skin health, digestion, and lymphatic support.

    Consult a qualified herbalist if using for therapeutic purposes.

Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Students identifying and sorting edible wild plants as part of a foraging certification course.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Fresh wild greens and berries in a wooden bowl, representing the hands-on results of Foraging Academy’s certification classes.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.
Group of students processing acorns together during a foraging class, representing shared learning and scholarship.