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Greater Burdock

Arctium lappa

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in fields and roadsides. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
2–10 feet
Spread
2–4 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
See native alternatives

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Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Missouri Ironweed
    Vernonia missurica

    Sun: Full sun. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Purple.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

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At a glance

Life cycle
Biennial
Bloom
July to November

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 1 Arkansas county.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

18CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Arctium

  • Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Epiblema scudderianaScudder's Epiblema, Goldenrod Gall Moth
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
  • Ogdoconta cinereolaCommon Pinkband Groundling
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Show all 18
  • Platyptilia carduidactylusArtichoke Plume Moth
  • Ponometia candefactaOlive-Shaded Bird-Dropping Moth
  • Ponometia erastrioidesSmall Bird-Dropping Moth
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Vanessa virginiensisAmerican Lady, American Painted Lady
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Arctium

  • Melissodes desponsus
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Arctium

  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Asteraceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–10b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Purple

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Great Bur Dock; Great Burdock; Greater Bur Dock

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNA
Global rankGNR
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources