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Weeds > Arctium > Arctium minus > Arctium minus

Arctium minus


Lesser Burdock




Origin:  In 1941, electrical engineer George de Mestral found burdock burrs stuck to his clothing and dog’s fur after returning from a hunting trip in the Alps. His curiosity got the best of him, deciding he needed to figure out how these burrs worked. He discovered the burrs were covered in tiny spines each ending in a small hook which could latch onto clothing threads or animal hair. He realized nature’s wonders could be applied as a useful method and thus invented two kinds of nylon fabric, one of which the surface was made of loops and the other covered in small hooks. After 10 years, NASA adapted these fasteners. This product is known today as Velcro.
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Arctium
Species
minus
Category
Weeds
USDA Hardiness Zone
4 - 11
Canadian Hardiness Zone
2a - 8a
RHS Hardiness Zone
H1c - H7
Temperature (°C)
-34 - 7
Temperature (°F)
-30 - 45
Height
1 - 2 m
Spread
1 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
JulyAugustSeptember
Growth
Fast
Habitat
Roadsides, fields and forest clearings at an altitude of 0-2,200 m.
Leaf Description
Thin, 30-60 x 15-35 cm.
Notable Specimens
Joany’s Woods, West Williams, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada.
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