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ladiravenmoon
Goddess of the Green
Posts: 46
(12/29/03 3:17 pm)
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Herb of the week Burdock
Burdock root ( arctium lappa) is a great cleansing herb, it has been known to help the body rid itself of chronic skin and arthritic conditions. It was traditionally used to allieviate gout,fevers and kidney stones as well. It has also been known to have an anitbiotic effect. It is said to help reduce tumors, it is one othe components of essiac or 4 herb tea. Essiac is a formula used for treating various types of cancer. we will post more info on that later. I have used burdock alot in the past it is a good one for cleansing and it isnt one of the terrible tasting ones at least not in my opinion. lol
blessings
sherry
Edited by: Gaia Angel  at: 2/20/04 7:31 am
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earthnann
Posts: 4
(3/23/04 2:13 pm)
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Re: Herb of the week Burdock
I think it tastes great, and it makes a good iced tea as well. It's a fabulous purifier, both blood & lymphatic system. On an emotional level, it's very nurturing and cleansing, generates contentment. It's one of my favorite plants. It grows in my yard and it gets up to 5 feet tall and round - the leaves are a good rain cover. Keep the dog away from the burrs, tho - they're hard to remove.
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narshaadha
Of the light hand and gentle Heart
Posts: 183
(3/27/04 1:54 pm)
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Re: Herb of the week Burdock
earthnan, how did it come to be growing in your yard? is it native to where you are? how is it propagated...seeds, cuttings, bulbs? if yours didn't hapeen to just grow there naturally, where did you get it? WOW as you can see i have a million questions (sorry)
narshaadha 
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earthnann
Posts: 38
(3/28/04 12:54 pm)
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Re: Herb of the week Burdock
Wow - encouragement to talk about one of my favorite plants! Okay. Burdock grows wild in my area, so I’ve never propagated it. It‘s kind of a “nuisance plant” here. It will grow just about anywhere but prefers partial shade and lots of water. I would think it should be easy to grow from seed because it has burrs that sort of latch on to passing critters & folk, and that means it should be able to sprout most places it’s dropped.
One of the problems with a plant where we use the root is that taking the root kills the plant, so I have several large plants in my yard and harvest the little ones that sprout up in the yard near them every year. I live in an area with severe winters, so I’d think when planting burdock you should either do it in the fall, or throw the seeds in the freezer for a month or so before planting them in the spring – some plants need exposure to intense cold before they can sprout.
I love working with the live plant - burdock energy is very healing, feminine, flowing, nurturing. Sitting under or near a large plant is like climbing onto your grandma’s lap for some serious cuddle time. It’s good for inward reflection, meditation, rebuilding emotional strength.
It’s a pretty plant, big kinda fuzzy dull green leaves and medium purple flowers. The root has some nutritional value to it. You can eat the stalks, too, but I've never tried that. I like to harvest young plants because the taproot is not quite so deep and large and easier to work with. I still don’t have a decent dehydrator, so I slice it very thin and dry it in my oven (low heat, the oven door propped open with a stick for air flow).
Thanks for asking me to share; hope this has been helpful.
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narshaadha
Of the light hand and gentle Heart
Posts: 187
(3/28/04 8:37 pm)
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Re: Herb of the week Burdock
Thank you so much, earthnan. Now my question is this, are you familiar with the "zones" in gardening books? I am in zone 5, which zone are you in? As you can see, I would really like to get some burdock but don't want to get it, plant it, and then have my "zone" be a killer for it.
narshaadha
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shadeaux63
Keeper of the Stars
Posts: 453
(3/29/04 2:05 am)
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Re: Herb of the week Burdock
From what I've read,Narshaadha,burdock will thrive just about anywhere the ground is remotely fertile.The taproots withstand harsh freezing winters very well,and cultivation is a matter of letting Mother Nature do her thing.Hope this helps ya some.
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earthnann
Posts: 41
(3/29/04 6:04 am)
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Re: Herb of the week Burdock
Zone 4 here, so you should be fine. Just remember they like lots of water. In my area it is a biennial, so keep in mind that in a garden setting it might move around a bit. I still only harvest first-year roots - they taste better and are much easier to manage.
It's nice to have even if you are not gonna harvest and just want it for its presence (looks & energy) in your garden. If it likes your space, it will get rather large, so keep that in mind when deciding where to plant. The other thing to consider in garden placement is the burrs - high traffic areas with kids & pets should be avoided. You can cut the burrs back the first year (which will actually give more growing power to the plant) but need to let them form the second year so it can regenerate. I think if I were gonna plant it in a formal garden, I'd put it toward the back near a fence or tree.
Oh, yeah, one more thing - it is related to the thistle family and the tiny birds (finches & such) like the seed.
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narshaadha
Of the light hand and gentle Heart
Posts: 197
(3/29/04 9:06 pm)
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Re: Herb of the week Burdock
Even better if the little birds like it! Thank you, earthnan for the growing/pruning information, and you too, shadeaux. Guess I will start looking around for some burdock to buy.
narshaadha
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