Greater burdock
7
9
3Will it grow where I live?
Greater burdock is hardy to zone 3 – that covers all of Central Europe and the British Isles, and every USDA zone from 3 upwards. It needs real winter cold and struggles in the mildest sites (zone 8 and warmer).
Or check it for your location right here:
Profile
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Habit
- biennial
- Height
- 2.2 m
- Spread
- 1.5 m
- Growth
- medium
- Lifespan
- 2 years
- First yield
- after 2 years
- Hardiness
- zone 3–5
- Shade tolerance
- partial shade
- Soil
- Sand, Silt, Loam
- Soil moisture
- semi-dry – very moist
- pH
- 5.5 – 7.5
Flowering & harvest
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowering |
Uses
Edible: Genutzt wird vor allem die fleischige Pfahlwurzel, in Ostasien bis heute als Gemüse angebaut und dort ein gängiges Herbst- und Wintergemüse. Sie wird ausgegraben, gewaschen, in Stücke geschnitten und gekocht; in der Verwendung ähnelt sie Topinambur. Auch die jungen Triebe und Blätter lassen sich zubereiten. Für den Anbau als Wurzelgemüse gibt es eigene Sorten, darunter mehrere japanische Herkünfte sowie Auslesen der als Gemüse geführten Varietät; daneben wird schlicht die Wildform vermehrt, aus der sie alle hervorgegangen sind.
Notable
Besonderheiten: zweijährig angelegt, hält sich am Standort aber oft länger, weil sie neue Ableger unmittelbar daneben bildet verhält sich im Beet eher wie eine Staude; Speicherwurzel als Herbst+Wintergemüse; eigene Gemüsesorten aus Japan;
Frequently asked questions
Greater burdock: how big does it get?
Greater burdock (Arctium lappa) grows as a biennial and reaches roughly 2.2 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 1.5 m. Growth is medium.
Greater burdock: what site does it need?
Greater burdock tolerates partial shade. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt, Loam. Soil moisture should be in the range semi-dry – very moist. The pH may lie between 5.5 and 7.5.
Greater burdock: is it hardy?
Greater burdock is listed as hardy in zone 3–5 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Greater burdock: will it grow in Central Europe?
Greater burdock is hardy to zone 3 – that covers all of Central Europe and the British Isles, and every USDA zone from 3 upwards. It needs real winter cold and struggles in the mildest sites (zone 8 and warmer).
Greater burdock: when does it flower?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate it flowers from July to August.
Greater burdock: is it poisonous?
No toxicity is recorded for Greater burdock. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone — only on a confident identification.
Greater burdock: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 7/10, Medicinal 9/10, Other uses 3/10.
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