Last edited by shiny on November 10, 2026. View history

Burdock

Arctium lappa
Also known as greater burdock (en) gobō (en) edible burdock (en) lappa (en) beggar's buttons (en)

How to sow burdock: Direct seed, thin seedlings to 8cm

Sun requirement for burdock: Plant in Full Sun

Burdock is a biennial plant in the Asteraceae family that is grown for it's large taproot, which is eaten as a vegetable and used medicinally in Western folk herbalism and traditional Chinese medicine. The plant has pink-red to purple thistle-like flowers and a taproot that can grow to 90m long. It can be overwintered in soil like parsnips. It has become an invasive weed in parts of North America and Australia. It's leaves can grow to 50cm and are edible when young.

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Burdock facts

Lifespan

Annual living and reproducing in a single year or less

Height

200cm

Row Spacing

5cm
Optimal soil pH 6.5–8
Absolute soil pH 6–8.5
FAO EcoCrop

Crop cycle

0–0 days
FAO EcoCrop

Optimal light

clear skies to very bright
FAO EcoCrop

Photos

Burdock crops

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Ecological requirements

Data from the FAO EcoCrop database for Arctium lappa L.

Family / Taxonomy Magnoliopsida
Asteridae
Asterales
Compositae
Life form herb
Life span biennial
Habit erect
Optimal soil depth medium (50-150 cm)
Optimal soil texture medium
Optimal soil drainage well (dry spells)

Licensed under CC-BY-4.0.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) ECOCROP, the crop ecological requirements database. Version 1. https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/dataset/ecocrop. Accessed through the CGIAR Climate Action Data Hub, https://cgiar-climate-data-hub.github.io/catalog/ecocrop_1/.

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