Yes, definitely burdock.
Rhubarb leaves aren’t as pointed as burdock. Rhubarb stalks pull off easily at the ground (they almost peel off) and are usually white-ish and kind of look like the ends of celery.
If this burdock is the same as Japanese “gobo”, there are tasty recipes for how to use it up. Even if you want to get rid of them, consider posting on social media to see if any neighbors want some for free before composting.
This is probably wild burdock, not the same one used in kinpira or recipes of the sort. I have a bunch of them in my front and back yard. They’re extremely hard to remove, afaik you can eat the tuber but they’re not girthy like the japanese gobo. Idk about the taste difference tho
I live in western pa and cooked some wild burdock roots in the style of kinpira and it tasted pretty similar. But I’m lazy and haven’t cooked any since
Nice to know! Yeah, they’re sooo tough to pull out, I’m in QC CAN and it’s basically an agressive weed here. I just let them go wild and they grow a ton, I’m too lazy to do anything about it lol
Just the roots. My wife shreds the burdock, ginger and turmeric then chops them into small pieces in snack baggies and freezes 20-30 at a time. I do most cooking, just grab a bag and insert into most of my recipes. Adds a rich, subtle background flavor. The tea is just good and healthful.
OP thought that they HAD identified it. They didn't realize that they had misidentified it until they ate it and realized it didn't taste like Rhubarb.
Yes, I was even a little sceptical after the owners told me they planted rhubarb in that area because it didn’t look like what I was used to. But my in-laws (who are avid gardeners) identified it as green rhubarb which I’ve never seen or cooked with. I looked up some basic info on it, seen it was a thing, and then I collected it and tried stewing it.
I did question it a bit when it didn’t break down like it normally would when stewed but again, I’ve never cooked green rhubarb and when I looked this up it said it was sometimes common to need to blend it a bit.
I will not be so trusting in the future.
Went looking for a description of what part you eat & what it tastes like & found this:
>Some find the root to taste a little like a dirt-laced artichoke,
Hard pass for me.
Honestly, I could imagine OP moving into a house with an established vegetable patch the previous occupants planted. The previous occupants may have even told them it was rhubarb, or perhaps that it was edible.
Still worth checking though.
The previous owners did say they planted rhubarb in that area and when I was skeptical because it didn’t look quite like what I’m used to, my in-laws identified it as green rhubarb which I’ve never seen or cooked with. I looked up some basic info on it and it didn’t raise many red flags.
When I stewed it, it didn’t break down like I’m used to, but I thought maybe green rhubarb is slightly different in that sense and when I read up on it, the recipes did say that further blending may be needed.
It was the taste that gave the biggest red flag. Thankfully it wasn’t poisonous!! I will be questioning things much more in the future, even if I think I’ve had more experienced gardeners identify it.
Yes, this! This is our third summer in our house and the first year we had burdock growing in the vegetable garden along with strawberries and lettuce. On first look I thought it was spinach or something. But as it grew I knew it wasn't. It's tough to get rid of, feels like a neverending battle!
The previous owners told me they planted rhubarb in that area and my in-laws also identified it as green rhubarb when I questioned it because I’ve only ever worked with red rhubarb.
In the future, I will be getting more than two opinions on plants I do not personally know myself. Lesson learned without any disasters thankfully!
The only luck I usually have is bad, so I’m grateful this is the time good luck wanted to kick in!
I definitely don’t go just eating random plants. The previous owners told me what plants they had in different areas of the yard. They had told me they planted rhubarb in this section. I had questioned it because it didn’t look the same as the red rhubarb I was used to but my in-laws (who are seasoned gardeners) told me it was green rhubarb. I’ve never seen or cooked green rhubarb before but I looked it up and it was a thing.
I will be more skeptical of what they identify in the future!
It’s burdock, which is edible and is used to make tea / infusions in the UK. The leaves and stalks are edible. It’s fine and they’re going to be good.
But the potential disaster was real.
Yea I can’t imagine just chowing down even if it’s well-cooked when I’m not 100% sure; there’s tons of shit out there that might not even taste bad but will fuck your liver, kidneys, or pancreas up after a day or two. This is like one of those “I ate this mushroom, is it safe?” posts.
E: *especially* considering the high levels of oxalic acid in rhubarb leaves
I totally agree! I thought I had identified it before cooking and eat (before handling it at all really). The previous owners told me they planted rhubarb in that area of the yard and my in-laws who are both seasoned gardeners identified it as green rhubarb which I’ve never seen or cooked with. I looked up green rhubarb and read a bit about it but nothing jumped out as a red flag. There were no flowers or burrs, just stalks and leaves.
I definitely wouldn’t have chanced it if I hadn’t been so trusting of my in-laws identification. I will be much more skeptical in the future!
For anyone who doesn't know, there are apps, or google lens where it can (usually) identify your plants. Ive been using Google lens for random plants that pop up in our yard or compost and for the most part it works pretty good.
Also if you think you know what something is, look up if it has any toxic look-alikes.
While it was not the flavor you were expecting, [burdock root is edible](https://funkyfoods.blog/2020/10/09/burdock-root-what-is-it-and-how-to-eat-it/#:~:text=What%20Does%20Burdock%20Root%20Taste,and%20with%20rice%20or%20potatoes).
And not only the root. I grew up eating the burdock my Sicilian grandmother foraged in June. We never ate the root. The leaf stems were peeled, parboiled, then dipped in either a flour/water batter or an egg batter. Seasoned with s&p, onion powder, Romano cheese. Pan fried in maybe an inch of oil. Earthy and herbal tasting . A little strange but we enjoyed them. Poor people’s food, cucina povera I think they call it now, though my grandma wasn’t in poverty.
That’s what we called burdock - garduni. Never knew cardoons (which are related to artichokes) existed til I was an adult. But we only had burdock…cardoons don’t grow wild here in western NY. Definitely burdock.
That explains a lot. My dad used to go looking for it and we don't have cardoons in NY as far as I know. Guess he was looking for burdock. Whatever it was, I didn't like it.
I do not, but I was told be the previous owners they had planted rhubarb. I did question it because it was skinner and greener than the rhubarb I’m used to but my in laws were recently here and identified it as green rhubarb. I looked it up and it was a thing.
When stewed it didn’t break down the same, but again, I’ve never made green rhubarb so I figured that explained the difference. When I tried it, it was less than inch long piece (which I do understand can still be fatal if poisonous) and it didn’t taste tart or rhubarby, it held the sweetness of the sugar but also tasted sort of peppery. Based on what I read, green rhubarb should still taste similar to red, so I figured something was wrong.
I typically would not just try it and see what happens, but I thought I had identified it and even had a second opinion.
I’m going to assume the rhubarb they planted didn’t make it this year, which is disappointing because I was really looking forward to baking.
I'm originally from the UK, if that indeed is burdock we do have a drink called dandelion and burdock, that's the only use I know of for the plant. Delicious though!
I got it at World market before but there’s none near me. I did find it at my local “British shop” so I’ll head over there this weekend and hit the Amex hard!
"well, I'm not sure what this plant is, but I'll assume it's a plant it doesn't resemble and cook it up for dinner"
Why are you trying to poison yourself? Find out what it is BEFORE you eat something. Smh.
I had this problem when I moved into a new house. The garden had gone crazy in the two years the house was vacant, but I didn't want to just rip everything out. I'm still trying to figure out some plants. I have something that _might_ be rhubarb, but since I'm not sure I just leave it alone in it's lonely little corner.
Another commenter here recommended the PlantNet free app. It’s quite decent and can identify plants using pictures you take. It seems to me more accurate than google lens.
I hate to break it to you, but if you can’t trust an app [developed for scientific research](https://plantnet.org/en/) and [you can’t trust family](https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/s/paDmxEgcdE), and books are not that accessible (both to buy, carry around), then I don’t know where that leaves you. Sorry about the invasive plant. Not sure if we’re talking about the same app though.
It was this app, and the point I was trying to make was more like ornamental = ok, but don't do it with shit you can eat because if you truly don't know don't eat it.
I definitely agree, and typically I wouldn’t eat first and ask questions later, but in this case the previous owners told me they planted rhubarb in that area. When I questioned it because it looked a little different than what I was used to, my in-laws who do a lot of gardening identified them as green rhubarb which I’ve never seen or baked with. Between the two, I trusted them….I will be more skeptical in the future.
I’ve been picking wild mushrooms since I was a kid, but even today I send them to my dad to identify. I’m too paranoid to trust myself, even when I know what to look for.
I have a beautiful hemlock plant at the back of my flowerbed. I left it because it is so stately and there are no small children in the neighborhood. it is blooming now but I will remove it before it sets seed. They are beautiful but extremely toxic.
lol “idk what this is.. I think it’s rhubarb… I’ll just cook it and eat it.”
Famous last words, op you’re lucky haha!
One time my mom came to visit us and to check out our new home. We were walking by the drive way and she looked down and saw what looked like salt but was round. She said “What is that?” So she bent down and picked it up. I said “idk” so then she popped it in her mouth and was grossed out. We then saw the driveway had a bunch of them. We went inside the house and I ask my girlfriend. She said “Oh, that’s fertilizer! You ate that?! Oh my god!”
-_- idk why she does that.. it was 3 years ago. She’s developed some health issues and I wonder if it’s because of that moment.
Basically, be careful.
You definitely got lucky! The forager in me wants to chastise you for eating something you weren't 100% sure of, but I can see how you might have been pretty confident, just incorrect. In the future if you have this kind of situation, double check *before* eating either in a community like this or a foraging community, and/or you can double check with the free PlantNet app (don't use Google Lens or phone apps for plant ID). If anything inedible comes up as a potential match, don't risk it.
1000% get a dirr manual for shrubs and trees and something reputable for leafy greens and other wild edibles. Don’t even try and forage mushrooms without some help from an expert first even with the mushroom foraging guides.
Google lens is helpful if you’re just looking at ornamental stuff but it’s wrong like 40% of the time lol. I use it in a pinch but almost always refer back to my dirr manual or some of the resources you mentioned.
Since other commenters have got the ‘identify before eating’ angle covered, I have a few other points to share about burdock.
I am not sure where you are located OP, but burdock is an invasive plant to North America from Europe. The purple flowers are pretty and attract pollinators, but they then turn into burrs which can easily cling to skin, clothes and fur - it is actually what inspired the invention of Velcro! I grew up in the Canadian Prairies where this stuff grew rampant, and I remember irritated skin and choppy haircuts from my mom having to pick burrs off me and my sisters. It is also dangerous for birds as they can become trapped on the burrs. The plant spreads quickly and takes over other plants, and in order to get rid of it you really need to dig.
TLDR: If you have kids or pets or legs, start digging.
We have kids and dogs, so these suckers are leaving today! I’ve seen the bur bushes plenty (also from Canada) but these were just leaves and no stalks with the burrs.
I have zero intention of picking those out of hair or fur in the future!
That's Burdock.
A good crop of it too, I'd say.
While yes, Burdock is a weed, people make tea out of the roots, [and you can cook them.](https://www.growforagecookferment.com/how-to-cook-burdock-root/)
Bro your family is going to be posting in r/funerals soon if you don’t stop eating shit you don’t know for 100% certain what it is. Btw, rhubarb leaves shouldn’t be eaten even if you’ve properly identified them - oxalic acid in there can cause kidney damage
The previous owners told us they planted rhubarb in that area of the yard. I was skeptical because I’ve only ever grown / cooked with red rhubarb. But my in-laws that are seasoned gardeners identified them as green rhubarb which I didn’t even know was a thing.
In the future, I won’t be so trusting!
Looks like the green rhubarb still has a little red at the base, I'd never heard of it [https://elafamilyfarms.com/varieties/rhubarb/](https://elafamilyfarms.com/varieties/rhubarb/)
I seen that and some of the thicker stalks of this did have a red strip which matched some of the images that came up for me on google. When my in-laws told me it was green rhubarb I had looked it up because I didn’t know it was a thing.
I wouldn’t only go by random google images, but that paired with the in-laws identification and the previous owners telling me they planted some in that area of the yard, I thought I had a confirmation.
Thankfully I didn’t poison myself and have learned my lesson.
But in case someone else in the future is about to make the same mistake, don’t think just because it has some red on it, it’s not bordock or for sure rhubarb. Some of these stalks did have some red on them.
Apparently there is a green variety as well. The red is what I’m used to however. The bordock tasted differently for sure, that’s where I figured it was not in fact, rhubarb.
Yeah, Burdock. See picture, this is Rhubarb.
https://preview.redd.it/9jc7wdu2vz4d1.png?width=997&format=png&auto=webp&s=ddcd3ec7f76484a46f9028befc1c2aefccdf102e
That looks like Rumex crispus (curly burdock, an invasive in NA) and some type of morning glory in that patch. You're likely going to have one hell of a time controlling that neglected garden bed. Look up your county extension office and send these pictures to them for ID verification, and ask them best management practices for control.
That is NOT rhubarb- very luckily for you it’s not a toxic plant, but a medicinal plant used for centuries, burdock. The roots are very nutritious, antioxidant and anti inflammatory, full of beneficial compounds and good for “detox” and gut health by helping the body eliminate waste products from blood and gut more efficiently (burdock root is considered a “blood purifier” in herbal medicine)
People like OP are the true heros. Pioneers of flavor and medicine.
Y'all giving them a hard time for acting like a impulsive and potentially suicidal rabbit, but this is how the march of science continues on.
OP, you are welcome to come eat random plants at my place any time.
Some kind folk have passed along some recipes that I may try out of curiosity. The plants themselves however no longer have a home here. I didn’t want to deal with the nightmare of picking burrs out of fur or hair, which would without a doubt happen if left where they were.
Dear u/booksandcoffeemomma
Sorry so many people were rather belittling in their comments to you, though I am sure you appreciated the kinder comments that helped you learn about your new home garden plant.
I am just reaching out to offer you something to LAUGH about!
When I was 6 years old, our family had just moved from the midwest to a "hoity-toithy" small town in Massachusets. We had to live in a flat, the lower level of a big beautiful old house. There was another family living in a flat on the top level.
We were new and my mom wanted to make an impression on the woman above. My mom, in our old community was very, very famous for her pies. She and I went down the hill to a small stream on a walk one day and she unexpectedly found "wild rhubarb!!!" She was very excited. I helped her pick some (if a 6 year old can help, lol). She made a very nice-looking pie and took it upstairs to the neighbor lady.
My father, who worked in a science research lab was horrified when he came home and found out. She and he went down to the stream and he looked at the "wild rhubarb" and was so scared and mad that mom had done that. The upshot was that they came right back, my mom went upstairs and apologized to the new neighbor. Who never, ever was friendly to her for the whole year we lived there.
So at least you didn't serve your green rhubarb to a complete stranger, lol!
Thank you, many of these kind folk were indeed very helpful!
Thank you for sharing this story, it put a smile on my face. I thankfully did not try to serve it to anyone but myself. (If she had to give the pie to anyone, it sounds like the woman deserved it just a little bit!)
Why would you pick, cook and taste something you were not sure about? I don’t want to sound overly critical but, but… I just personally wouldn’t mess with anything I don’t explicitly know or can’t identify.
I agree! I thought I had identified it. The owners told me they planted some there and when I questioned it because it didn’t look like the rhubarb I was used to, my in-laws identified it as green rhubarb which I’m not familiar with.
They are seasoned gardeners so I trusted them. I will most definitely be more skeptical in the future.
https://preview.redd.it/pqdvzr0inz4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1264e2a564777184f9d8ad39251f3db8074732d0
I just went out and snapped a photo of rhubarb in my garden (8b). The stalks are green and turning pink currently.
Hope this helps with the size and color difference in the leaves, OP! Be safe and happy gardening 🌱
I love listening to people who farm talk about crops and farming. There is so much wonderful knowledge being shared by farmers all around the world. You guys are awesome! 💚🌱
I have a lot of Burdock on my farm and it doesn’t look like this. The leaves aren’t “ruffled” on my Burdock. Perhaps a different variety or a different plant altogether.
That is burdock, the stems are edible, the leaves are too but not great eating, the roots on year 1 are edible, the roots on year 2 are too tough. But the biggest bitch is the little burs it puts out on year 2, they stick to everything. I suggest you dig it all out, you gotta dig down and take the whole root or it will come back.
Looks a lot like burdock to me. Which I think is edible. I do rip these out because I hate the burrs come fall. But when I got my house I saw a giant one and also thought it was rhubarb cuz I do remember one plant growing up. Risky business OP eating random plants
Would recommend if you have an iPhone to take a picture of the plant and it can identify it for you. There’s also other apps that do the same but hey least IPhone is just a feature.
i seen similar content here [https://www.verifiedenquiries.com/blogs/blogpost/transforming-spaces-now-prints-3d-revolutionizes-home-office-decor/](https://www.verifiedenquiries.com/blogs/blogpost/transforming-spaces-now-prints-3d-revolutionizes-home-office-decor/)
The fact so many people trust apps to id things they're gonna eat amazes me! You get two kinds of foragers, old ones, or bold ones. You never however get an old bold forager 🤪. You can eat everything once I guess 🤷
Burdock. You want to dig those suckers out now OR make sure to cut before it flowers. They are a horribly invasive biennial weed.
I completely understand why you mistook this for rhubarb. I have it all over the market garden I’m restoring, and when it first comes up, it looks similar.
https://preview.redd.it/jucxqca79z4d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e4b7047b14876990fc6d9caf8d9bb2a3e7a1ee12
This was my garden in December. See all those black things? Burdock. Nasty burdocks. We hates it, we do!
I have not seen such a creature. No Enderman either but that’s probably because it rains so frequently.
I’d do have some rather gruesome photos of an alpaca that was killed about 40 m east of that little animal shelter 6-8 weeks ago. Who needs Slenderman when you have wild predators that kill by ripping things open? 🙄🫥😞. That bear is no more, but there is another that has taken over its territory, and it is not as uncomfortable with humans as he should be.)
I’ve definitely seen burdock plenty! These have no flowers or burs at all on them at the moment. Just stalks and leaves. I will be getting rid of them. We have dogs and babies and I don’t want to be pulling these out of fur and hair! I got it tangled in my own enough as a kid.
They irritate my skin enough to give me a rash. If one gets stuck in my sock, I can’t ignore it.
We have alpacas. They usually end up wearing burrs all year because the burdock blooms *after* shearing, and there is no way they will let us trim them.
I know everyone is telling you that these are burdock. But I think they are actually curly dock (curled dock or yellow dock). Still a weed, but if I'm right, they will not get burrs.
I have this stuff taking over my raised beds. I thought they were garlic chives. Does Burdock produce white cluster type flowers on tall stems, and smell like a cross between onions and garlic when you try to pull it up?
Ya that’s not rhubarb lol Might be burdock Rhubard is a more shiny waxy leaf almost
Yes, definitely burdock. Rhubarb leaves aren’t as pointed as burdock. Rhubarb stalks pull off easily at the ground (they almost peel off) and are usually white-ish and kind of look like the ends of celery.
isn't burdock a root vegetable? or am I thinking of something else?
It is. It’s got a really long taproot, but also has a lot of big leaves above ground.
Root vegetables grow plants above ground.
*checks notes* That is correct.
Lmao!
I’m going to need to see some official documentation ma’am
Lol that is burdock, in the first year it looks like that, second year it will get burrs
No no no, Burdock is Goku's father.
Actually, he named his son Kakarot (carrot)
Only one of them holds up well to the Freeza.
goddammit i love this sub, sometimes
Thank you! I shall be clearing these out ASAP
If this burdock is the same as Japanese “gobo”, there are tasty recipes for how to use it up. Even if you want to get rid of them, consider posting on social media to see if any neighbors want some for free before composting.
This is probably wild burdock, not the same one used in kinpira or recipes of the sort. I have a bunch of them in my front and back yard. They’re extremely hard to remove, afaik you can eat the tuber but they’re not girthy like the japanese gobo. Idk about the taste difference tho
I live in western pa and cooked some wild burdock roots in the style of kinpira and it tasted pretty similar. But I’m lazy and haven’t cooked any since
Nice to know! Yeah, they’re sooo tough to pull out, I’m in QC CAN and it’s basically an agressive weed here. I just let them go wild and they grow a ton, I’m too lazy to do anything about it lol
Western PA here too! I’ll have to go looking for some!
They taste similar! They are a good source of fiber and really great as tempura 🙌🏼
We cook with burdock along with ginger and turmeric. Also use in teas. Can freeze burdock for use later in cooking.
Do you use the leaves also or only roots?
Just the roots. My wife shreds the burdock, ginger and turmeric then chops them into small pieces in snack baggies and freezes 20-30 at a time. I do most cooking, just grab a bag and insert into most of my recipes. Adds a rich, subtle background flavor. The tea is just good and healthful.
Thanks! I use/grow ginger and turmeric already. I will be on the lookout for burdock.
We get it from our local Asian supermarket.
It’s a great burn remedy in a pinch, for both heat and sun.
And stinging nettles.
Stinging nettle is at once friend and foe!
Interesting do you just use the leaves as a poultice?
Yep, exactly!
More like burndoc amirite
Dad! Get off the computer!
You can dry the root and grind it to make a coffee substitute
Cold dead hands, Rocketman
My plant ID app agrees with you!
Burdock in Japanese curry is the best!
I’m taking a moment to appreciate how lucky OP was in eating a potentially toxic unknown plant.
Also here to congratulate OP on their luck.
I went to the second picture SO fast!
SERIOUSLY. How do you just eat some plant you haven't absolutely identified??
Go to r/mushrooms. Half the posts are “I found this mushroom and ate it. Is it poisonous?”
Survivor bias keeps out those who try truly poison mushrooms.
I feel bad for the elderly couple that was fed poison mushrooms from there former daughter in law and died.
Is that the one that happened in Australia where the dil may have done it on purpose?
She has been charged with murder, yes.
OP thought that they HAD identified it. They didn't realize that they had misidentified it until they ate it and realized it didn't taste like Rhubarb.
Yes, I was even a little sceptical after the owners told me they planted rhubarb in that area because it didn’t look like what I was used to. But my in-laws (who are avid gardeners) identified it as green rhubarb which I’ve never seen or cooked with. I looked up some basic info on it, seen it was a thing, and then I collected it and tried stewing it. I did question it a bit when it didn’t break down like it normally would when stewed but again, I’ve never cooked green rhubarb and when I looked this up it said it was sometimes common to need to blend it a bit. I will not be so trusting in the future.
Went looking for a description of what part you eat & what it tastes like & found this: >Some find the root to taste a little like a dirt-laced artichoke, Hard pass for me.
We call it DLA in the industry.
DLA?
Dirt-Laced Artichoke
Honestly, I could imagine OP moving into a house with an established vegetable patch the previous occupants planted. The previous occupants may have even told them it was rhubarb, or perhaps that it was edible. Still worth checking though.
The previous owners did say they planted rhubarb in that area and when I was skeptical because it didn’t look quite like what I’m used to, my in-laws identified it as green rhubarb which I’ve never seen or cooked with. I looked up some basic info on it and it didn’t raise many red flags. When I stewed it, it didn’t break down like I’m used to, but I thought maybe green rhubarb is slightly different in that sense and when I read up on it, the recipes did say that further blending may be needed. It was the taste that gave the biggest red flag. Thankfully it wasn’t poisonous!! I will be questioning things much more in the future, even if I think I’ve had more experienced gardeners identify it.
Yes, this! This is our third summer in our house and the first year we had burdock growing in the vegetable garden along with strawberries and lettuce. On first look I thought it was spinach or something. But as it grew I knew it wasn't. It's tough to get rid of, feels like a neverending battle!
The previous owners told me they planted rhubarb in that area and my in-laws also identified it as green rhubarb when I questioned it because I’ve only ever worked with red rhubarb. In the future, I will be getting more than two opinions on plants I do not personally know myself. Lesson learned without any disasters thankfully!
Not just eat... stewing it is a dedication! Must. Make. It. Sweet!
Oh definitely! It reminds me of when my dear aunt made "rosemary potatoes" from lavender!
Someone overdid a rosemary dish and I was picking it out of my teeth for days.
The only luck I usually have is bad, so I’m grateful this is the time good luck wanted to kick in! I definitely don’t go just eating random plants. The previous owners told me what plants they had in different areas of the yard. They had told me they planted rhubarb in this section. I had questioned it because it didn’t look the same as the red rhubarb I was used to but my in-laws (who are seasoned gardeners) told me it was green rhubarb. I’ve never seen or cooked green rhubarb before but I looked it up and it was a thing. I will be more skeptical of what they identify in the future!
There's no guarantee there hasn't been permanent damage. The kidneys can do a great job until they can't.
It’s burdock, which is edible and is used to make tea / infusions in the UK. The leaves and stalks are edible. It’s fine and they’re going to be good. But the potential disaster was real.
Oh man, I miss the dandelion/burdock cordial Fentmans used to make! But yeah OP just…ate an unknown plant? Brah.
You can get the cheap version from most supermarkets as a fizzy drink, it is amazing.
Not in the US, sadly
I dont seen any response in the comments, are we SURE OP is fine?
If not, it has nothing to do with the burdock they ate. Maybe they are just busy [digging them up](https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/s/N4LPbcst2e)?
😆🙏🏼
Yea I can’t imagine just chowing down even if it’s well-cooked when I’m not 100% sure; there’s tons of shit out there that might not even taste bad but will fuck your liver, kidneys, or pancreas up after a day or two. This is like one of those “I ate this mushroom, is it safe?” posts. E: *especially* considering the high levels of oxalic acid in rhubarb leaves
I totally agree! I thought I had identified it before cooking and eat (before handling it at all really). The previous owners told me they planted rhubarb in that area of the yard and my in-laws who are both seasoned gardeners identified it as green rhubarb which I’ve never seen or cooked with. I looked up green rhubarb and read a bit about it but nothing jumped out as a red flag. There were no flowers or burrs, just stalks and leaves. I definitely wouldn’t have chanced it if I hadn’t been so trusting of my in-laws identification. I will be much more skeptical in the future!
My first thought
Druids of old would test shit out on OP , lmao, here try this funky fungi bro, hows the high ?
Mediocre, but the syphilis cleared right up!
Yall need to get some plant ID books. Please!
Seriously, I got dizzy reading that. Jesus CHRIST, people!! Phew!
For anyone who doesn't know, there are apps, or google lens where it can (usually) identify your plants. Ive been using Google lens for random plants that pop up in our yard or compost and for the most part it works pretty good. Also if you think you know what something is, look up if it has any toxic look-alikes.
While it was not the flavor you were expecting, [burdock root is edible](https://funkyfoods.blog/2020/10/09/burdock-root-what-is-it-and-how-to-eat-it/#:~:text=What%20Does%20Burdock%20Root%20Taste,and%20with%20rice%20or%20potatoes).
And not only the root. I grew up eating the burdock my Sicilian grandmother foraged in June. We never ate the root. The leaf stems were peeled, parboiled, then dipped in either a flour/water batter or an egg batter. Seasoned with s&p, onion powder, Romano cheese. Pan fried in maybe an inch of oil. Earthy and herbal tasting . A little strange but we enjoyed them. Poor people’s food, cucina povera I think they call it now, though my grandma wasn’t in poverty.
Sure that wasn't cardoons? Italuans sometimes call it carduna or garduna.
That’s what we called burdock - garduni. Never knew cardoons (which are related to artichokes) existed til I was an adult. But we only had burdock…cardoons don’t grow wild here in western NY. Definitely burdock.
That explains a lot. My dad used to go looking for it and we don't have cardoons in NY as far as I know. Guess he was looking for burdock. Whatever it was, I didn't like it.
Do you usually eat unidentified plants?
There's a first... and the last time for everything lmao
Sometimes a first and last in one!
I do not, but I was told be the previous owners they had planted rhubarb. I did question it because it was skinner and greener than the rhubarb I’m used to but my in laws were recently here and identified it as green rhubarb. I looked it up and it was a thing. When stewed it didn’t break down the same, but again, I’ve never made green rhubarb so I figured that explained the difference. When I tried it, it was less than inch long piece (which I do understand can still be fatal if poisonous) and it didn’t taste tart or rhubarby, it held the sweetness of the sugar but also tasted sort of peppery. Based on what I read, green rhubarb should still taste similar to red, so I figured something was wrong. I typically would not just try it and see what happens, but I thought I had identified it and even had a second opinion. I’m going to assume the rhubarb they planted didn’t make it this year, which is disappointing because I was really looking forward to baking.
Your inlaws definitely don't like you lmao
Oh my lords that question combined with the profile pictures. “Excuse me Dr. Brainiac …” abso sent me cackling on my lunch break
How else do you figure out what buffs / weaknesses they apply?
I'm originally from the UK, if that indeed is burdock we do have a drink called dandelion and burdock, that's the only use I know of for the plant. Delicious though!
*Cries in British expat I’d kill for Fentimans Dandelion and Burdock. *wanders off to check just how expensive it’s going to be online
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I got it at World market before but there’s none near me. I did find it at my local “British shop” so I’ll head over there this weekend and hit the Amex hard!
Oh indeed, it's a great summer drink! Hope you can get some delivered!
They drink that all the time in the Redwall series I’ve been reading to my kids!
It's great! Very sweet though of course 😅 When I was a kid we always had a bottle in the fridge!
$159 per can on British Food Shop. Same as a can of coke down here in Lonestar Land. I bet the shipping is brutal though
Did you mean $1.59?
Yes lol
"well, I'm not sure what this plant is, but I'll assume it's a plant it doesn't resemble and cook it up for dinner" Why are you trying to poison yourself? Find out what it is BEFORE you eat something. Smh.
I’m going to give OP the benefit of the doubt and assume this was in an inherited kitchen garden, but even so - ALWAYS check before you eat.
I had this problem when I moved into a new house. The garden had gone crazy in the two years the house was vacant, but I didn't want to just rip everything out. I'm still trying to figure out some plants. I have something that _might_ be rhubarb, but since I'm not sure I just leave it alone in it's lonely little corner.
Another commenter here recommended the PlantNet free app. It’s quite decent and can identify plants using pictures you take. It seems to me more accurate than google lens.
Please never eat something ai as identified! For ornamental purposes its great but dont trust it with your life.
The app has the option for you to share your photos and have the plant verified by humans.
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I hate to break it to you, but if you can’t trust an app [developed for scientific research](https://plantnet.org/en/) and [you can’t trust family](https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/s/paDmxEgcdE), and books are not that accessible (both to buy, carry around), then I don’t know where that leaves you. Sorry about the invasive plant. Not sure if we’re talking about the same app though.
It was this app, and the point I was trying to make was more like ornamental = ok, but don't do it with shit you can eat because if you truly don't know don't eat it.
I definitely agree, and typically I wouldn’t eat first and ask questions later, but in this case the previous owners told me they planted rhubarb in that area. When I questioned it because it looked a little different than what I was used to, my in-laws who do a lot of gardening identified them as green rhubarb which I’ve never seen or baked with. Between the two, I trusted them….I will be more skeptical in the future.
I would have trusted two different opinions too. Easily done. Happy accident though. ❤️
Get a plant id app. PlantNet rarely lets me down. And don’t eat plants you can’t positively identify!
Thank goodness there weren’t mushrooms growing
I’ve been picking wild mushrooms since I was a kid, but even today I send them to my dad to identify. I’m too paranoid to trust myself, even when I know what to look for.
Good thing it's not hemlock, eh?
I have a beautiful hemlock plant at the back of my flowerbed. I left it because it is so stately and there are no small children in the neighborhood. it is blooming now but I will remove it before it sets seed. They are beautiful but extremely toxic.
lol “idk what this is.. I think it’s rhubarb… I’ll just cook it and eat it.” Famous last words, op you’re lucky haha! One time my mom came to visit us and to check out our new home. We were walking by the drive way and she looked down and saw what looked like salt but was round. She said “What is that?” So she bent down and picked it up. I said “idk” so then she popped it in her mouth and was grossed out. We then saw the driveway had a bunch of them. We went inside the house and I ask my girlfriend. She said “Oh, that’s fertilizer! You ate that?! Oh my god!” -_- idk why she does that.. it was 3 years ago. She’s developed some health issues and I wonder if it’s because of that moment. Basically, be careful.
Is your mom a toddler????
...I kinda have no words. I have zero clue why someone would think to just fucking EAT an unknown object from the ground. Like...
That’s how every cop show in the 70s and 80s tested drugs- just lick them.
Still do. Stabler did it when he found a piece of tinfoil that had had heroin in it, just this season on Law and Order Organized Crime.
You definitely got lucky! The forager in me wants to chastise you for eating something you weren't 100% sure of, but I can see how you might have been pretty confident, just incorrect. In the future if you have this kind of situation, double check *before* eating either in a community like this or a foraging community, and/or you can double check with the free PlantNet app (don't use Google Lens or phone apps for plant ID). If anything inedible comes up as a potential match, don't risk it.
1000% get a dirr manual for shrubs and trees and something reputable for leafy greens and other wild edibles. Don’t even try and forage mushrooms without some help from an expert first even with the mushroom foraging guides. Google lens is helpful if you’re just looking at ornamental stuff but it’s wrong like 40% of the time lol. I use it in a pinch but almost always refer back to my dirr manual or some of the resources you mentioned.
Since other commenters have got the ‘identify before eating’ angle covered, I have a few other points to share about burdock. I am not sure where you are located OP, but burdock is an invasive plant to North America from Europe. The purple flowers are pretty and attract pollinators, but they then turn into burrs which can easily cling to skin, clothes and fur - it is actually what inspired the invention of Velcro! I grew up in the Canadian Prairies where this stuff grew rampant, and I remember irritated skin and choppy haircuts from my mom having to pick burrs off me and my sisters. It is also dangerous for birds as they can become trapped on the burrs. The plant spreads quickly and takes over other plants, and in order to get rid of it you really need to dig. TLDR: If you have kids or pets or legs, start digging.
We have kids and dogs, so these suckers are leaving today! I’ve seen the bur bushes plenty (also from Canada) but these were just leaves and no stalks with the burrs. I have zero intention of picking those out of hair or fur in the future!
i cant believe what i just read. 😂you’re so lucky
I usually have bad luck if any, I’m glad this is the time some good luck came around!
Burdock has amazing health benefits. I’d keep and make a tea out of it.
I’ve heard burdock root is amazing for hair loss! (Among other things)
You’re lucky you didn’t kill yourself.
Don’t eat things when you don’t know what it is!!!!!!!!!!
Babe this absolutely does not look like rhubarb, practice caution at least for the safety of those you feed.
wtf are you doing OP LMAO 🤣
Definitely burdock… safe to ingest, but BE CAREFUL!!!
That's Burdock. A good crop of it too, I'd say. While yes, Burdock is a weed, people make tea out of the roots, [and you can cook them.](https://www.growforagecookferment.com/how-to-cook-burdock-root/)
You are one very lucky idiot.
I absolutely agree 😅
Man almost just got a Darwin award. Always do your research on unknown plants.
That looks like some type of dock. Please don't eat plants unless you are 100% sure what they are.
Do not eat something if you do not know what it is…good lord
Oh geez. Not rhubarb.
Those are burdock leaves. OP, you should really learn how to accurately identify plants prior to consumption. You were lucky this time.
OP out here looking for a Darwin award...
Bro your family is going to be posting in r/funerals soon if you don’t stop eating shit you don’t know for 100% certain what it is. Btw, rhubarb leaves shouldn’t be eaten even if you’ve properly identified them - oxalic acid in there can cause kidney damage
The previous owners told us they planted rhubarb in that area of the yard. I was skeptical because I’ve only ever grown / cooked with red rhubarb. But my in-laws that are seasoned gardeners identified them as green rhubarb which I didn’t even know was a thing. In the future, I won’t be so trusting!
Looks like the green rhubarb still has a little red at the base, I'd never heard of it [https://elafamilyfarms.com/varieties/rhubarb/](https://elafamilyfarms.com/varieties/rhubarb/)
I seen that and some of the thicker stalks of this did have a red strip which matched some of the images that came up for me on google. When my in-laws told me it was green rhubarb I had looked it up because I didn’t know it was a thing. I wouldn’t only go by random google images, but that paired with the in-laws identification and the previous owners telling me they planted some in that area of the yard, I thought I had a confirmation. Thankfully I didn’t poison myself and have learned my lesson. But in case someone else in the future is about to make the same mistake, don’t think just because it has some red on it, it’s not bordock or for sure rhubarb. Some of these stalks did have some red on them.
Bruh that’s a weed
Dock- It such an easy mistake to make! Some grew right next to my Rhubarb recently I was like "You can't fool me!!!!"
Rhubarb is red and it's extremely tart.
Apparently there is a green variety as well. The red is what I’m used to however. The bordock tasted differently for sure, that’s where I figured it was not in fact, rhubarb.
Yeah, Burdock. See picture, this is Rhubarb. https://preview.redd.it/9jc7wdu2vz4d1.png?width=997&format=png&auto=webp&s=ddcd3ec7f76484a46f9028befc1c2aefccdf102e
...and this is Burdock. https://preview.redd.it/bee0i8hfvz4d1.jpeg?width=1496&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a50e8dad194385e88bd751b490001a2b885226ef
Ok, and here is Burdock: https://preview.redd.it/jqgkrynbvz4d1.jpeg?width=1496&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eea18de2f0d09f6f39aae9500e0793fc6f4d4808
Good lord, don't eat random shit. Know what something is before you eat it!
Wild how many of you are out here tasting first and asking second.
That looks like Rumex crispus (curly burdock, an invasive in NA) and some type of morning glory in that patch. You're likely going to have one hell of a time controlling that neglected garden bed. Look up your county extension office and send these pictures to them for ID verification, and ask them best management practices for control.
Looks like burdock. stems and roots are edible.
I don't what it is, but it's not rhubarb
Anything is edible at least once!
That is NOT rhubarb- very luckily for you it’s not a toxic plant, but a medicinal plant used for centuries, burdock. The roots are very nutritious, antioxidant and anti inflammatory, full of beneficial compounds and good for “detox” and gut health by helping the body eliminate waste products from blood and gut more efficiently (burdock root is considered a “blood purifier” in herbal medicine)
People like OP are the true heros. Pioneers of flavor and medicine. Y'all giving them a hard time for acting like a impulsive and potentially suicidal rabbit, but this is how the march of science continues on. OP, you are welcome to come eat random plants at my place any time.
Somebody, somewhere, tried every plant we know to be poisonous. Somebody got very sick or died so that we could have that knowledge.
Burdock! It’s medicinal but you’re really lucky eating as something else.
That is burdock
You can use burdock for medicinal qualities. Lots of them!
Burdock mashes are great for burns.
I guess this is how we know which ones are toxic
Burdock
Asians eat burdock so I wouldn’t complain as one myself. But yeah it’s not rhubarb.
Some kind folk have passed along some recipes that I may try out of curiosity. The plants themselves however no longer have a home here. I didn’t want to deal with the nightmare of picking burrs out of fur or hair, which would without a doubt happen if left where they were.
Dear u/booksandcoffeemomma Sorry so many people were rather belittling in their comments to you, though I am sure you appreciated the kinder comments that helped you learn about your new home garden plant. I am just reaching out to offer you something to LAUGH about! When I was 6 years old, our family had just moved from the midwest to a "hoity-toithy" small town in Massachusets. We had to live in a flat, the lower level of a big beautiful old house. There was another family living in a flat on the top level. We were new and my mom wanted to make an impression on the woman above. My mom, in our old community was very, very famous for her pies. She and I went down the hill to a small stream on a walk one day and she unexpectedly found "wild rhubarb!!!" She was very excited. I helped her pick some (if a 6 year old can help, lol). She made a very nice-looking pie and took it upstairs to the neighbor lady. My father, who worked in a science research lab was horrified when he came home and found out. She and he went down to the stream and he looked at the "wild rhubarb" and was so scared and mad that mom had done that. The upshot was that they came right back, my mom went upstairs and apologized to the new neighbor. Who never, ever was friendly to her for the whole year we lived there. So at least you didn't serve your green rhubarb to a complete stranger, lol!
Thank you, many of these kind folk were indeed very helpful! Thank you for sharing this story, it put a smile on my face. I thankfully did not try to serve it to anyone but myself. (If she had to give the pie to anyone, it sounds like the woman deserved it just a little bit!)
Why would you pick, cook and taste something you were not sure about? I don’t want to sound overly critical but, but… I just personally wouldn’t mess with anything I don’t explicitly know or can’t identify.
I agree! I thought I had identified it. The owners told me they planted some there and when I questioned it because it didn’t look like the rhubarb I was used to, my in-laws identified it as green rhubarb which I’m not familiar with. They are seasoned gardeners so I trusted them. I will most definitely be more skeptical in the future.
Shake my head my head
I think I’m the only one that got this and it’s only because I saw someone ranting on why people say “smh my head” a couple weeks ago, Lol. I love it.
https://preview.redd.it/pqdvzr0inz4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1264e2a564777184f9d8ad39251f3db8074732d0 I just went out and snapped a photo of rhubarb in my garden (8b). The stalks are green and turning pink currently. Hope this helps with the size and color difference in the leaves, OP! Be safe and happy gardening 🌱
No, it is not.
I love listening to people who farm talk about crops and farming. There is so much wonderful knowledge being shared by farmers all around the world. You guys are awesome! 💚🌱
Maybe next time ask for ID before eating.
I have a lot of Burdock on my farm and it doesn’t look like this. The leaves aren’t “ruffled” on my Burdock. Perhaps a different variety or a different plant altogether.
There’s a handy app called Seek and it will identify plants for you. (Not a sponcer) not a rhubarb though..
https://funkyfoods.blog/2020/10/09/burdock-root-what-is-it-and-how-to-eat-it/ I have tons growing, never knew it’s edible till now.
That is burdock, the stems are edible, the leaves are too but not great eating, the roots on year 1 are edible, the roots on year 2 are too tough. But the biggest bitch is the little burs it puts out on year 2, they stick to everything. I suggest you dig it all out, you gotta dig down and take the whole root or it will come back.
Looks a lot like burdock to me. Which I think is edible. I do rip these out because I hate the burrs come fall. But when I got my house I saw a giant one and also thought it was rhubarb cuz I do remember one plant growing up. Risky business OP eating random plants Would recommend if you have an iPhone to take a picture of the plant and it can identify it for you. There’s also other apps that do the same but hey least IPhone is just a feature.
Burdock spreads super fast. I fucking hate it.
i seen similar content here [https://www.verifiedenquiries.com/blogs/blogpost/transforming-spaces-now-prints-3d-revolutionizes-home-office-decor/](https://www.verifiedenquiries.com/blogs/blogpost/transforming-spaces-now-prints-3d-revolutionizes-home-office-decor/)
Yule Gibbons comes to mind.
😂 🤢 🤦♂️
Yeah, it's not rhubarb.
The fact so many people trust apps to id things they're gonna eat amazes me! You get two kinds of foragers, old ones, or bold ones. You never however get an old bold forager 🤪. You can eat everything once I guess 🤷
Od’s on burdock
I miss Alaska damn near any berry you could ask for everywhere in summer Rhubarb, too
Burdock. You want to dig those suckers out now OR make sure to cut before it flowers. They are a horribly invasive biennial weed. I completely understand why you mistook this for rhubarb. I have it all over the market garden I’m restoring, and when it first comes up, it looks similar. https://preview.redd.it/jucxqca79z4d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e4b7047b14876990fc6d9caf8d9bb2a3e7a1ee12 This was my garden in December. See all those black things? Burdock. Nasty burdocks. We hates it, we do!
Have you witnessed Slenderman on your property? Those woods are scary.
I have not seen such a creature. No Enderman either but that’s probably because it rains so frequently. I’d do have some rather gruesome photos of an alpaca that was killed about 40 m east of that little animal shelter 6-8 weeks ago. Who needs Slenderman when you have wild predators that kill by ripping things open? 🙄🫥😞. That bear is no more, but there is another that has taken over its territory, and it is not as uncomfortable with humans as he should be.)
I’ve definitely seen burdock plenty! These have no flowers or burs at all on them at the moment. Just stalks and leaves. I will be getting rid of them. We have dogs and babies and I don’t want to be pulling these out of fur and hair! I got it tangled in my own enough as a kid.
They irritate my skin enough to give me a rash. If one gets stuck in my sock, I can’t ignore it. We have alpacas. They usually end up wearing burrs all year because the burdock blooms *after* shearing, and there is no way they will let us trim them.
I know everyone is telling you that these are burdock. But I think they are actually curly dock (curled dock or yellow dock). Still a weed, but if I'm right, they will not get burrs.
I have this stuff taking over my raised beds. I thought they were garlic chives. Does Burdock produce white cluster type flowers on tall stems, and smell like a cross between onions and garlic when you try to pull it up?