The individual leaves on this burdock are more than two feet long, as it builds up energy in its roots to flower next summer. (This less-common pattern marks it as a biennial plant., rather than an annual or perennial.)
Burgeoning Burdock
Tag: Burdock
Burdock In Bloom
I love the thistle-like flowers on our burdock plants!
Burdock & Bees
The burdock flowers also draw a crowd of bees; these ones are European honey bees.
Burdock & Ladybugs
Another reason I like burdock is that it supports a lot of insects. A week ago, I noticed that seemingly overnight, the undersides of the flower clusters had been swarmed by hundreds of aphids. I pulled out the hose and blasted a bunch of them off with a few quick squirts, but that only thins them out, it never gets ’em all, so I was very pleased to find a couple of ladybugs crawling around on it the next day. Although they’re cute, I know they’re fiends for aphids.
And even better, by the end of the week I was seeing ladybug larvae crawling around, clearing out the lingering aphids. A few days later, I can no longer find any aphids at all.
Burdock
I’ve heard people dismiss burdock as a nuisance weed, and I’m sure there are situations in which it is unwanted, but I love its odd little flowers, and since I’m growing it in a container, the burrs really aren’t a problem.
