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BURDOCK ROOT

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Shraddhananda:
Oh the wonders of Burdock! She has the skills to address a host of ailments, is reputed to be one of the best blood purifiers, and was reportedly the inspiration for Velcro.  And she's tasty too!

Burdock is a thistle plant - originally a Eurasian "weed" that naturalized here - and is often found in disturbed habitats, roadsides, vacant lots, and fields. It has long-stalked wedge-shaped, wavy edged, toothless leaves that looks much like Rhubarb (which has poisonous leaves). Burdock leaves are roughly two feet long by one foot across and can be distinguish by their white, fuzzy underside. 

A Biennial, Burdock seeds only in the second year - creating the hoop and lock thistles that attach to animals and clothes.  During the first and the beginning of the second year of growth, the basal rosette of leaves stays close to the ground, then, in mid-spring of the second year, a central flower stalk arises to a height of two to nine feet, topped by flowers that resemble purple or pink shaving brushes.  Always harvest roots from first year plants.

We work with the deep, large tap-root, which has both nourishing and tonifying properties! Eaten as a vegetable in many places, it is a good source of vitamins and other nutrient like iron, inulin, and beneficial oils.  The root has a sweet, earthly flavor and crunchy texture that can be shredded raw into a slaw or rolls, or cooked in stirfrys and stews. (When harvesting, make sure you gather from places that are not sprayed or polluted.)

The Eclectics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries held burdock in high esteem, considering it  a good general alterative, influencing the skin, kidneys, mucus, and serous membranes by removing accumulated waste products.  (Some sources say it works miracles on almost any skin condition.)  Today many herbalists work with Burdock to purify the blood, enhancing the performance of many of the organs that eliminate toxins or waste (like the kidneys, liver, colon, etc). 

There are lots of ways that people work with Burdock Root.  Tell us about your relationships to this extraordinary "weed"!

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zalatanaluna:
I was introduced to burdock at a very elegant and delicious Japanese restaurant in Denver.  It was served sliced in their yummy noodle bowls, and julienned and dressed in vinegar, and both were delectable and I developed a sort of craving for burdock. Years later in learning more about it's nourishing qualities it makes perfect sense to me that I would love it so much, living in a higher elevation and spending lots of time in the mountains exploring. I think it fortified me more than anything else I was eating then.

SisterThreads:
I don't have a lot of experience with Burdock root as an adult. I remember my Grandma would put a spoonful of it in our pot with the rest of the tea when we had tea parties. I've done some reading on it recently, and it's something I'd like to start adding into my tea party tea again :)

Sweetpea:
We use Burdock docoction as part of a program to address my husband's eczema. <3

WinterNox:
I would like to win because I actually haven't used Burdock root yet and interested in learning how to use it and finding different ways to use it. So far Hyssop is one of my favorite herbs besides Catnip and Chamomile

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