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

Uses for Purslane

I got a little of this at a plant swap a few years back for my curbside barrels and it just took off growing. I just ripped some of it out and placed it in an area in my yard were grass will not grow and it spread like crazy and looks amazing. This is a beginner friendly plant and drought plant.

Purslane (Portulaca L.)

Description - This evasive weed as a  smooth, reddish, mostly prostrate stems and alternate leaves clustered at stem joints and ends. A yellow flowers have five regular parts and are up to 6 mm wide. Depending upon rainfall, the flowers appear at anytime during the year. The flowers open singly at the center of the leaf cluster for only a few hours on sunny mornings. Seeds are formed in a tiny pod, which opens when the seeds are mature. Purslane has a taproot with fibrous secondary roots and is able to tolerate poor, compacted soils and drought.

Time of Year: Spring to Fall  

Location: World (originally from India) 

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

Nutrient Content

Sodium, Patassium Calcium, Iron, Vitamin A and C

 

USES 

You can eat the Leaves and seeds.

Editable uses

Taste sour raw and sweet cooked

• The leaves can be burned and used as a salt. 

• young leave for salads

• Seeds can be grounded into a powder and used in gruels, breads and pancakes to add nutritional value. (they make around 10,000 seeds per plant)

• you can dehydrate the leaves to use later.

 

Medical Uses     Leave are high in omega- 3 fatty acids which can be important to preventing heart attacks and help immune system     The leave are also a great antibacterial and diuretic     The fresh juice is used in the treatment of coughs and sores     The leaves  poulticed van be applied to burns      A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of stomach aches and headaches     Both the tea and the plant juice are particularly effective in the treatment of skin diseases and insect sting     The seeds are tonic and vermifuge and are prescribed for dyspepsia and opacities of the cornea  Other Uses Has a blue color when used for dye.  excellent hog feed While considered an obnoxious weed in the United States, purslane can provide much needed vitamins and minerals in a wilderness survival situation. Ghandi actually numbered purslane among his favorite foods.