Burdock

[Kim]

Greetings plant lovers,

I'm on the forage for Burdock and although I'm pretty sure I know what it looks like, do any of you inventive people have any unusual/practical tips that may help me on my quest.

Many thanks.

P.S I now have a fantastic little herb garden growing very nicely on my sunny windowsill. Nothing to do with my foraging question but it's still dead exciting cos I used some on my pasta the other day, plus some sorrell I picked from the local woods. :hyper:

[Richie]

If I rememeber rightly burdock is only around for two years and the root is only edible in the first year when it is storing energy for it's flower. If the flower is present then it is in it's second year and not really edible.

The leaves make for good loo paper as well

I'm sure there are others here that can tell you more

Regards

Richie

[Tantalus]

never tried it though i remember throwing burrs at other kids as a youngster

hmmmm in fact i still throw em at kids when i find em :roll:

little video from the US which may be helpful

http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/TV....BurdockTV.html

though i would read up on specific uk species before taking it too much further

Tant

[dtalbot]

never tried it though i remember throwing burrs at other kids as a youngster



though i would read up on specific uk species before taking it too much further

Tant

Yep,
My older two (9 and 4) have discovered the burdock burrs in the wildlife corner of the garden and keep attaching them to littlest (6 months)!
David

[jakunen]

Fairly easy to ID.
Leaves are grey-green, heart shaped, downy and up to about 30 inches.
Tall flower stem to around 5 foot(ish) with purple thistle like flowers.
Its best cropped at the start of the second year, before it throws up the flowering stem. It tastes best then.

You can use the root (goes down up to 4 or 5 feet), in a lot of ways - roasted, diced in stews and soups, etc.
http://ganesh.physic...ology/plants/burdock.html

[Kim]

Thanks,

the roots meant to be very good for the digestion and the liver apparently.

[Tantalus]

sorry to be such a pest

but if it has purple flowers and a 5 foot stem

how do you recognise it before the purple flowers and 5 foot stem appear.......i.e when it is at its best for eating?

ummmmm and the link wont work for me either :cry:

Tant