Note From The Field

Fall Harvest
Late fall is the best time to
harvest roots. Pictured right is
Burdock Root (Arctium
lappa) fresh from the field. It
was harvested after the first
killing frost (and even after an
early snowfall!) when the
actively-growing green leaves
finally turned brown. This
indicates that the plant is no
longer accumulating nutrients
for the first flush of growth in
the spring.

From the Field Guide
Burdock (Arctium lappa L., Asteraceae) are
biennials that are found along roadsides, fields
and waste places. Although thought of as a
long-time native, it is actually naturalized from
Europe. It is a biennial that can grow between 2
and 9 feet. The lower leaves are rhubarb-like,
while the central stalk is celery-like in
appearance. Flowers are reddish purple and
arranged in a flat-topped cluster. Flowers appear
from July to September. Seeds appear
afterwards inside a globe of barbed bristles
(burs). First-year leaves can be eaten as a
potherb and the young, tender petioles peeled
and eaten raw. First-year roots are dug in the fall
or early the following spring.

The roots are then cleaned from dirt, sticks and foreign plant
material. Fresh burdock root can be added to soups and
many other dishes; many of these roots will be eaten in the
coming weeks. Roots can be finely chopped and tinctured in
alcohol for future use. They can also be coarsely chopped
and placed on a drying screen.

Two commonly
mis-identified plants are
Skunk Cabbage and
False Hellebore. When
first emerging from the
soil, look at the leaf
veins. Skunk Cabbage
(on the left) is net
veined, and the False
Hellebore (on the right)
is parallel veined.