Ontario Wildflowers website

Common Burdock
Arctium minus

Common Burdock (Arctium minus) French names: Bardane mineure

Family: Composite Family (Asteraceae)

Group: Docks

Distinctive features: Stems hollow.

Similar species:
  •   Great Burdock (Arctium lappa) - Deeply grooved stem, solid pith, usually larger overall.


Edible: The deep taproot root is edible cooked. Best in the first year.

Books: Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: 412   

Native/Non-native: Native

Origin and Meaning of Names:
 Scientific Name: minus: smaller


Photographs: 58 photographs available, of which 8 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Common Burdock (Arctium minus) flowers

Common Burdock flowers.

Common Burdock (Arctium minus) flowers

Common Burdock (Arctium minus) flowers

Rarely the flowers are white.

Common Burdock (Arctium minus)

A Common Burdock plant.

Common Burdock (Arctium minus)

Remnants of a Common Burdock plant from the previous year, in early spring.

Common Burdock (Arctium minus)

Common Burdock stems are hollow, compared to those of Great Burdock (Arctium lappa), which are solid.

Common Burdock (Arctium minus)

Common Burdock basal leaves.

Common Burdock (Arctium minus)

Common Burdock burs on a frosty early March morning.


Range map for Common Burdock (Arctium minus)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)