Uses for Burdock

Little known fact the idea for Velcro came from the

 flower of the burdock plant...but pet owners 

are fully aware of its ability to stick to things.

Burdock (Arctium lappa L)

Description - Greater Burdock is a tall plant that can grow up to 9 feet It has large leaves.
The flowers are purple and grouped in clusters. The flowers appear in mid-summer, from July to September. The fleshy tap-roots can grow up to 3 feet.


Time of Year: Starts growing in spring but you can harvest the roots if needed at any time. 
 

Location: Upper North America but other kinds do grow in the rest of the states

Click Here for map  If it does not grow in your area do a search to see what kind does

Nutrient Content

Iron, manganese, vitamins B1, B6, B12, and E, and zinc.

 

USES 

You can eat the Leaves, roots, seeds and stem, raw or cooked

Editable uses

• The root can be used as a coffee substitute. cut it up, bake it till its brown, grind it then boil.

•  Leaves and stems taste like asparagus, some say spinach.
  

• Young roots can be eaten raw, but older ones need to be cooked. 

• The roots can be dried for later use. 

• Burdock root can be converted into diabetic friendly sugar by boiling it Click here to see how other plants are processed it is the same for burdock.

• The seeds can be sprouted and used like bean-sprouts 

Medical Uses

• Burdock is one of the foremost detoxifying herbs in both Chinese and Western herbal medicine It help to purify the blood

• Recent research has shown that seed extracts lower blood sugar levels (The seed is harvested in the summer and dried for later use)

• It is used to treat conditions caused by toxins

• Roots in a tea form are great for throat infection throat and stomach issues also helps with water retention.

• The leaves are poulticed and put on boil, rashes and burns and is said to heal them fast

• The root is thought to be particularly good at helping to eliminate heavy metals from the body

• It is used in the treatment of eczema, acne, impetigo, ringworm, and bites with a compress or paste

•  The paste made from the poulticed works wonders on psoriasis, acne and dry skin. or you can use a wash as well

Other Uses 

• Makes a yellow dye

• For what ever reason there are claims that the juice of the plant helps fight baldness

• Leaves are great for mold with hypertufa (all kinds of recipes cool stuff! here is a PDF with some different recipes Click Here ) But here are 2 videos on how to cast the leaf Click Here and click here 

• Yes you can make paper with the burdock plant