Japanese name: ゴボウ（牛蒡） Scientific name:Arctium lappa
[Overview]
A biennial up to 3 m tall.
A sturdy taproot extends deep underground.
The stem branches freely.
The leaves are simple and alternate, ovate to heart-shaped, up to 30 cm long, with soft hairs on the underside.
They have petioles.
Flower heads about 4.5 cm across are borne in corymb-like clusters.
The flower heads consist entirely of reddish-purple tubular florets.
The involucre is spherical and bears many involucral bracts whose tips form hooked spines.
The fruit is an achene with a pappus.
[Uses]
The root is eaten, and the fruit is used medicinally.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
Because the roots grow deep, a site with deep cultivated soil is suitable.
It dislikes acidic soil.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained site.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew, root-knot nematodes and root-lesion nematodes.
