Burdock (Arctium lappa) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Arctium lappa
Family: Asteraceae
Part used: Root, Seed, Leaf
Taste: Bitter, Sweet
Temperature: Cool
Moisture: Moist

On temperature, the old sources disagree: Gerard (1633) reads it as warm; Culpeper (1653), Salmon (1710) and Bencao Congxin (1757) read it as cool or cold; Bencao Gangmu (1596) reads it as neutral. The app keeps cool, the modern reading of what the herb does in the body; the old readings are shown here but do not change it. On moisture, Gerard (1633), Culpeper (1653) and Salmon (1710) read it as dry. The app keeps moist, the modern reading of what the herb does in the body; the old readings are shown here but do not change it.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Insufficient safety data; avoid

While breastfeeding

Traditional galactagogue in combination; generally considered compatible with breastfeeding in moderate use.

For children

Generally safe as food; therapeutic doses avoid under 12

Cautions

Caution with diuretics; avoid with known Asteraceae allergy

General contraindications

Insufficient safety data; avoid

Stewardship

Burdock is abundant and easily cultivated; biennial root harvested first-year fall. Grows as 'weed' globally — ethical wildcrafting is practical. Stewardship: abundance is not license — even weedy plants thrive best when harvest respects patches.

In the traditional record

Burdock (Arctium) — known as gobo in Japanese cuisine; referenced in medieval European herbals as a blood purifier

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.