Common Burdock (State designated weed)

Common Burdock (State designated weed)

• Arctium minus
• Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

Native of Europe, common burdock is now established throughout much of the U.S. It is commonly found growing along roadsides, ditch banks, in pastures and waste areas. The burs can become entangled in the hair of livestock allowing seed to be distributed to new areas.

Growth Habit: Biennial, producing a rosette of large, cordate, thickly hairy leaves the first year and an erect, much branched, coarse stem 3 to 10 feet tall the second year.

Leaves: Alternate, large, broadest at the leaf base, somewhat diminished upwards, margins toothed or wavy, wooly beneath at least when young, dark green above.

Flowers: Purple, heads borne in leaf axils or at the end of branches, numerous, clustered, covered with many slender, hooked spines, achenes gray to brown, mottled, oblong, about 1/4 inch long, flattened and slightly curved. Flowering and seed production occur from July to September.

Status: State Designated Noxious Weed, Category 4 Fremont County. Widespread infestation, control and maintenance of current weed infestations.

Control: Mechanical and chemical controls can be effective. FCWP offers a 40 percent Cost Share on chemicals for controlling this species. Contact your local weed and pest office for further treatment recommendations.

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