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Burdock
Arctium lappa, - Great Burdock Arctium
Minus - Lesser Burdock
Also Known as Cocklebur, Gobo root, Clot
bur, Burr Seed
Articles and Photos Copyright Karen
Bergeron 2007 |
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Burdock, an herb with prickly
seeds also known as Cocklebur, is a common wild plant. First year plants
have large leaves that resemble Elephant ears but lay prostrate on the
ground (basal leaves). Do not confuse with Rhubarb, whose leaves are
poisonous. In the second year,
Burdock sends up a stem and boasts round pink and white or purple flowers
in early summer, then ripens into prickly balls up to an inch in diameter. |
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If they are unaware of
its use as food and medicine, most people would consider Burdock to be a
weed, and a pesky one at that. The ripe seeds cling to clothing and animal
fur, and aren’t always easy to remove. I spent many an hour as a youngster
combing cockleburs from the fur of our dogs and horses, and writing them
off as minor nuisance.
An old time herbalist,
now deceased, told me that the seeds of Cocklebur soaked in milk will cure
cancer. The root is edible, and mostly used as a blood purifier; the leaf
is used externally for skin breakouts. It is also said that Burdock leaves
applied to the feet may cure gout. John Lust in “The Herb Book” says that
Burdock leaves may be helpful as a skin wash for acne, poison ivy, and
poison oak.
In magic, this is a
protective herb that wards off negativity, offers healing and protection.
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Burdock is commonly
found in pastures and waste places in the Eastern Central United
States, as far south as Tennessee - though more common northward,
also in Canada.
Sources
Author’s own
anecdotes - Karen Bergeron
Cunningham’s
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott Cunningham
The Herb Book,
John Lust
Peterson's Field
Guide to Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants
Steven Foster/ James A Duke, PhD
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Informative Links
Greater Burdock - Wikipedia
Burdock Use in Alternative Medicine
Burdock Information from Drugs.com |
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