Burdock Root is originally from Europe and Asia, and is now grown worldwide. The root is part of a perennial plant that grows in temperate environments. This root comes from a plant that has long, large leaves and purple flowers. Burdock Root has an elongated, thin shape that can vary in sizes and is physically very similar to a carrot. The skin of the root is light brown and its inside is pale, with a crunchy and rubbery texture. Its taste is described as mild, sweet, earthy, and slightly bitter. The Ojibwe people from Southern Canada and Northern Midwestern United States used this root as a medicinal plant as they believed it was restorative for their body and soul.

Burdock is associated with feminine energies, Venus, and the element of Water. Burdock is used in rituals to ward off negativity.

Fun fact: As the story goes, burdock is the inspiration for the invention of Velcro fasteners. In the early 1940’s George de Mestral, a Swiss inventor devised his invention after having to remove the burs from his dog’s fur. He looked at the burs under a microscope and seeing the seizing quality of hooked barbs devised Velcro.