Giant in our midst: Burdock

The future's so bright for burdock, it's gotta wear shades. Photo by Sherry McPhail.

Is it just me, or is burdock going wild this year? That’s the plant that looks a bit like rhubarb without the red stalks. And when it gets big, it GETS BIG!

There’s a modest species, Common Burdock, that only gets to be about 2 metres tall. Not to be outdone, the Greater Burdock spouts to 3 metres. That’s almost 10 feet tall, and it’s a plant. How tall are you? Me, about half that.

These plants came over with recent immigrants, a few hundred years ago ;) And they’re loving their new home. Some folks think they thrive better in cities, because in the wild areas the wild turkeys eat their wild seeds. I’d love to see that happen.

I’m not sure how to feel about this plant. It’s impressive. It’s invasive. And when a small person can hide behind a burdock leaf, that invasion can be significant. Forget about light, nearby plants.

Then there’s the burrs, which grow on sprawling stalks and always find my favourite sweaters. But that’s nothing compared to what happens when unfortunate birds or bats get caught in the burr’s infinite micro-hooks and perish. I’m not sure that’s what the plants had in mind––they just wanted their seeds to travel.

But I also hear burdock is delicious. People love eating the stalks and the 1-metre-long crumbly roots. Some even make medicines from these bitter behemoths. In fact, that’s why settlers brought them over. In Japan, they’re called Gobo and are delicious with daikon.

So burdock harvesters: go forth and forage, abundantly! For the sake of local, organic, sustainable sustenance. But also for the sake of birds, bats, and those who wear sweaters.