Botanical name: Arctium lappa

Common names: burdock, great burdock, gobo, goboshi

Burdock is a common yard weed in our neck of the woods. It has been an important botanical in Western folk herbalism and traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, primarily valued for its cleansing and skin smoothing properties. The entire plant is edible and is a popular vegetable in Asia, particularly in Japan. More recently, burdock has been an ingredient in hair tonics and in cosmetics for mature skin. It can also be used internally for digestion and lymphatic systems. It has an acrid, bitter flavor and can be used in teas, decoctions, tonics and tinctures.