Do not plant. Listed invasive in Kentucky.
Photographs are not available yet.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
28CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY
Genus host records with ranges including KY · Arctium
- Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
- Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
- Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth
- 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
- Lacanobia grandisGrand Arches
- Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
- Ogdoconta cinereolaCommon Pinkband Groundling
Show all 28
- Papaipema arctivorensNorthern Burdock Borer Moth
- Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
- Papaipema cerussataIronweed Borer Moth
- Papaipema harrisiiHeracleum Stem Borer Moth, Cow Parsnip Borer
- Papaipema marginidensBrick-Red Borer
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Papaipema necopinaSunflower Borer
- Papaipema nelitaConeflower Borer
- Papaipema rutilaMayapple Borer
- Papaipema silphiiSilphius Borer
- 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
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
1Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Arctium
- Melissodes desponsus
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Arctium
- Perdix perdixGray Partridge
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–10b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to neutral
- Flower color
- Pink or purple
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Flower color · “Pink or purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–10b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “2–5 feet” · Minnesota Wildflowers
- Life cycle · “Biennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Dry; Moist (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Common Burdock
Conservation status
| Kentucky rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | GNR |
| KY status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Native alternatives
Find natives for your gardenSources
- tnky_atlas
- usda
- ky_invasive
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- 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
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications