BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 11, 2022
Burdock, a biennial plant in the aster family, grows along river banks, roadsides, vacant lots, yards and in fields around Maine and thrives in poor soil. The plant can grow to more than 4 feet tall with large leaves and a purple, thistle-like flower. It’s also considered a noxious weed due in large part to the burrs produced by those flowers that easily attach to clothing, animals, birds or anything that brushes up against them. Once the hooked bracts get a hold, they act like velcro and can be very difficult to remove. But some Mainers feel burdock does not deserve its negative reputation, and that if people knew how beneficial the plant actually is they would promote its growth rather than try to eradicate it.