Beth’s Natural Way – Burdock

Truxton, NY
Phone/Fax: 607-842-6863
E-mail: bethsnaturalway@yahoo.com

Your beautiful long-haired cat has just come back after a fun filled day outside and you are horrified to see her hair is matted; full of burdock burs. Burdock grows everywhere and you just cannot get rid of them. Now turn that coin of thought completely around. You are now an herbalist, on your wilderness walk and are thankful to see the king of all herbs popping up everywhere. Also remember in life, just like the burdock, when a situation is at its worse, turn the coin over and just maybe the solution to your problem is just before your eyes.

FOLK NAMES: Beggar’s buttons, burrseed, clotbur, cocklebur, great burdock.

LATIN NAME: Arctium lappa.

ELEMENT: Water.

POWERS: Protection and healing.

MEDICINAL PARTS: Leaves, root, and flower.

CONSTITUTES: Small amount of volatile oil, sesquiterpene lactones, polyynes, caffeic acid derivatives and polysaccarides (glycogen). Root high in Vitamin C, iron, biotin, Vitamin B-1, B-6, B-12, Vitamin E, sulfur, Vitamin K, silica and manganese. Seeds high in insulin.

PROPERTIES: Bitter, sweet, alternative, mucilaginous, reduces inflammation, and antibacterial and lowers blood sugar (seed).

MAGICAL USES: Laying the leaves around the home will help ward off negativity. Putting leaves in your soles of your shoes will help reduce gout. Gather burdock root in the waning moon, cut into small pieces and string on a red color thread like beads. This will protect you against negativity and evil.

INTERNAL USES: Skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, rheumatism, gout, boils and sores. It is a great blood purifier, clears the kidneys of excess waste and uric acid by increasing the flow of urine. Stimulates and nourishes all organs. Burdock seeds help regulate blood sugar levels, supports the digestive system, soothes sore throats, flu and constipation.

EXTERNAL USES: The ground seeds mixed with brown sugar are used for measles and as a poultice for bruises, insect and snake bites. The leaves used fresh, chopped up and put directly on the skin covered with a cloth for sciatic, arthritis, gout, rheumatism, burns, ulcers, and sores of any kink with pain.

HARVEST: Dig burdock roots first thing in the spring or during any time of the year for the first year growth. The leaves can be used any time. The seeds are collected in the fall.

USE AS: Teas, extracts, powders, fresh or dried.

PRECAUTIONS: None known.

Vibrantly,
Beth Hill of Beth’s Natural Way!

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