Varieties

In Asia, savvy foragers seek out wild burdock. Only a few cultivated varieties of this hardy biennial grown as an annual are available. The fleshy tapering root can reach 4 feet/120 centimeters in length and 1 inch/2.5 centimeters in diameter. The plant is also cultivated for its immature flower stalks, which are harvested in the spring and cooked; their taste resembles that of artichoke. Certain burdock cultivars, mostly developed in Japan, are grown for their young, soft leaves, which are prized and eaten by the Japanese.