Plant Family: 

Asteraceae

 

Habitat & Cultivation: 

Burdock can be cultivated throughout China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and in various countries in Europe (Mountain Rose Herbs, n.d.). According to the USDA, burdock is native in the European and Asian countries listed above, however, has become naturalized in North America with early English and French settlers (USDA ARS-grin, n.d.). It does go wild in the Puget Sound.

 

Parts Used/Collection:

Root and Seed

 

Herbal Actions: 

• Alterative

• Bitter

• Hepatic

• Anti-inflammatory

• Anti-microbial

• Diuretic

• Hepatoprotective

 

Indications:

• Liver detoxification

• Digestive detoxification

• Inflammatory skin disorders

• Autoimmune disease

 

Contraindications: 

• Pregnancy

• Lactation

 

Plant Constituents: 

• Lignans

• Polysaccharides

• Mucilage

• Tannins

• Sulphur containg polyacetylenes

• Volatile oil

• Sesquiterpene lactones

• Nutrients/Minerals

 

System Affinities:

• Gastrointestinal system

• Immune system

• Integumentary system

 

Energetics: 

• Cold 

• Slippery

• Moving

Someone who is energetically warm and heavy feeling may benefit from burdock. Avoid energies that are anxious from, cold, or jittery.

 

Safety: 

Standard texts (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013; Mills & Bone, 2005), do not list contraindications for pregnancy or lactation. Tilgner (2009, p. 56), advise against long-term use of the seed due to risk of UTI and uterine irritation.

 

Personal Experience:

 

 

Research: 

 

ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. New York, NY: American Botanical Council. Accessed online at www.herbalgram.org.

 

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. (1999). Scotts Valley, CA: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

 

Hoffman, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism. Healing Arts Press: Vermont.

 

Mills, S., & Bone, K. (2005). The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety. Philadelphia: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.