Arctium lappa seed | Greater Burdock, Gobo
LATIN NAME: Arctium lappa COMMON NAME: Greater Burdock, Gobo
Botanical Profile
Greater burdock is native to Europe and temperate Asia, growing as a substantial biennial with enormous, coarse, heart-shaped leaves in its first year, followed in the second year by tall flowering stems topped with distinctive round, hooked flower burrs that catch readily on clothing and animal fur. Its long, straight taproot can reach considerable depth in loose, well-worked soil.
Science & Conservation
Greater burdock’s hooked seed burrs are famously the direct inspiration behind the invention of Velcro, after Swiss engineer George de Mestral examined the tiny hooks caught in his dog’s fur under a microscope in the 1940s, a well-documented piece of biomimicry history studied by engineers and designers as a classic example of nature-inspired innovation. Its root has also long featured in traditional Western and East Asian herbal medicine, and phytochemical research continues to examine its inulin and polyphenol content.
Landscape & Practical Uses
Greater burdock’s long, mild-flavoured taproot, known as gobo, is a popular root vegetable in Japanese and Korean cuisine, used in stir-fries, simmered dishes and pickles, and it also has a long tradition of use in Western herbal medicine as a general tonic root. In the garden, its dramatic large leaves and towering flower stems give it a certain bold architectural presence, though its notoriously clingy burrs mean it is best kept away from areas where pets or clothing might pick up the seed heads.
Growing From Seed
Sow the seed into a loose, deeply worked mix, since this species develops a long taproot best suited to soil free of stones or heavy clay. Full sun and consistent moisture suit the young plant well, and if growing for the edible root, loose, sandy soil worked to a good depth gives the straightest, most easily harvested results.
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Explore other seeds in this collection: Arctium lappa (Takinogawa Long Gobo), Arctium tomentosum (Woolly Burdock, Downy Burdock), Argyreia pierreana (Pierre’s Silverweed Vine), Aquilegia vulgaris (European Columbine, Granny’s Bonnet).