# What is this?



## tojo66 (Apr 9, 2011)

Former property owners planted weird things everywhere. I've figured out most of it but this has me stumped. At first I thought it was rhubarb but it doesn't get very tall and it's spindly. It's planted around a large maple tree and comes back every year. Thanks for looking!







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## Waiting Falcon (Nov 25, 2010)

Looks like burdock


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Yep, burdock. Vile weed. Kill it now or it will overtake the place.


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## tojo66 (Apr 9, 2011)

OK! We don't do chemicals but I've got a really mean brew of salt and vinegar to spray on it tomorrow. Thanks for the help!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Burdock, aka cockleburr.

I found an old Japanese cookbook that has cooking instructions for the root of first year plants. I'm going to have someone here dig my plants so we can try them.

Found another reference to using the seeds for a cereal base. I'm going to have to research that more.


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## jane2256 (Feb 7, 2006)

The root is edible and very good medicinally. I put it in stews and soups. One should use the root of a four year old plant, and that one could be old enough. Just dig up and wash, peel and cut up.
Good stuff.


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

Here, cockleburr and burdock are entirely different plants. Don't know if you can eat cockleburr. Your pics look like what we call burdock.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

ksfarmer, that's the bad thing about common names. A rose is not always a rose.
Arctium lappa is the proper name for burdock. 
Xanthium strumarium is the scientific name for cocklebur, which is not what is called cocklebur where I grew up. 
cocklebur:
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/xanst.htm
I've never seen the Xanthium.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Burdock is a biennial. If this stuff comes back year after year without producing a flower stalk, then it would not be burdock. If it is burdock, it can be killed with a hoe when it comes up the second year. 

Martin


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

When would be the best time to hoe it off? I have tried and tried and it seems the only way to get rid of it is to keep mowing it before it gets to the second year. 

But I have some first year plants that I am waiting until fall to dig. We'll try the roots and I still have to pull the seeds from the currently flowering plants. If it is worth eating I know just the place to plant more.


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

There are two ways to get rid of it. 

One, you can dig up all your soil to a depth of 12" and haul it off and replace it with soil from the northern regions of Canada. This will work for about 5 years before you'll have to repeat the process.

Two, you could find a lucrative market for it, and a blight will come along and kill all of it.

Good luck!


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

are burdock leaves edible? Those leaves look edible to me


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

Danaus29 said:


> ksfarmer, that's the bad thing about common names. A rose is not always a rose.
> Arctium lappa is the proper name for burdock.
> Xanthium strumarium is the scientific name for cocklebur, which is not what is called cocklebur where I grew up.
> cocklebur:
> ...


Yep. Xanthium strumarium is the "cocklebur" we have in these parts. An annual. Sometimes we tell kids or cityfolk the seedpods are Porkypine eggs.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Hoe burdock off in the spring just when it begins putting up a flower stalk. Probably have to do it twice. Watch for young plants as the seeds are viable for a number of years and are ready to replace the parent plant. 

Martin


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Oh, so that's what that is! We see that in other people's yards when we're taking walks. Usually they are the yards that are kinda near the edge of town, boardering the woods. Aren't burdock leaves supposed to be good for treating burns?


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## Ray (Dec 5, 2002)

burdock roots taste kinda like parsnips, parboil, use a scrubpad to remove skin then slice and fry, yum, had some a couple weeks ago. Them leaves can be used like banana leaves to cook food in also, not to eat. great for cookinfg in the wild.


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## casusbelli (Jan 6, 2009)

Kill it, do NOT allow it to go to seed.
BTW, burdock is relatively resistant to Roundup. If you go the chemical route, you should use something else, or roundup combined with something else....


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