Greater burdock

Value for beekeeping

Greater burdock is a large-leaved biennial of the daisy family, growing on nitrogen-rich soils around barns and villages and along roads and streams. Its purple heads, surrounded by hooked bracts, are visited by honey bees and bumblebees; its nectar and pollen contribution is moderate. It does not produce a flow on its own, but in the summer dearth it is a supplementary source for apiaries near settlements.

Flowering

In the first year it develops a large leaf rosette and a thick taproot; in the second year it flowers for 4-6 weeks from July to August.

Honey and pollen

There is no honey under its own name; it contributes to summer multifloral honeys.

Note for the beekeeper

The hooked seed heads stick to animal fleece and clothing; if it multiplies around the apiary it can be a nuisance while working. Its root is grown as a vegetable in Japan under the name gobo. The related lesser burdock (Arctium minus) has the same value for bees.