Burdock brings nourishment and balance for anything you may use it for. It is high in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals; it provides nourishment and assists the body in its absorption. It is a restorative tonic par excellence, and helps to improve the functioning of the entire being when taken regularly for a prolonged period. Burdock makes an excellent metabolic tonic as well, improving the functioning of the liver and kidneys, digestion, lymphatic and endocrine systems. Burdock would be very effective in just about any type of tonic, and an herb I would use on a regular basis.

Burdock grows in USDA Zones 4 to 8, and prefers partial sun. Burdock also prefers rich, deep, and consistently moist soil. A biennial, that blooms in mid- to late summer, the first year of growth it appears as a rosette of large heart-shaped leaves up to 12 inches long. During the second year, the plant continues skyward, often reaching 6 to 8 feet, while branching out to produce multitudes of thistlelike, light lavender to purple-flowered seed-bearing burrs at the upper reaches of the plant. The sturdy taproot should be harvested in the first year however, to provide the best medicinal quality.