
Latin name: Arctium lappa L.
Synonyms: Arctium majus. Arcion majus. Arcion tomentosum. Lappa glabra.
A biennial plant that can grow up to 9 feet (3m) with wide leaves that can be 1.3 feet large (40 sm). It is frost tender but grows in most of Europe, including Britain, east to northern Asia.
Burdock is a medicinal plant used in both Chinese and Western herbal medicine, to treat conditions caused by an 'overload' of toxins, such as throat and other infections, boils, rashes, burns, impetigo, ringworm, boils, bites, herpes, eczema, acne, bruises and other skin problems. The plant is also part of an unproven (nor disproven) North American formula called essiac which is a popular treatment for cancer. Burdock can be used both internally and externally as a wash. Recent research has shown that seed extracts lower blood sugar levels.