Summary ²

Arctium minus, commonly known as lesser burdock, burweed, louse-bur, common burdock, button-bur, cuckoo-button, or wild rhubarb, is a biennial plant. This plant is native to Europe, but has become an invasive weed in Australia, North and South America, and other places.

Description ³

Family:
Asteraceae (Aster)

Height:
4 to 5 feet

Leaves:
Basal leaves are large, heart-shaped (up to 18 inches), lower leaves are alternate and egg-shaped. Can resemble rhubarb.

Flower:
Reddish-purple and thistle-like on green, globular hooked burs

Bloom time:
July-October

Nicknames:
Lesser Burdock

Habitat:
Fields, roadsides, open areas in woodlands

Can I plant this in my garden?
No, this non-native plant is a common and aggressive weed in Minnesota and should be managed. It has a long taproot that is difficult to remove, and is a prolific seed producer. Limit seed production by cutting flower heads before they go to seed.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/common-burdock

Range ³

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
2. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctium_minus
3. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
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• eFloras.org
• Flora Digital de Portugal
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
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• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
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• New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online
• 日本のレッドデータ検索システム
• 植物和名−学名インデックス YList

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