Arctium minus
Common burdock
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Arctium minus (Common burdock) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by (Arctium lappa). Clear size, floral, and geographic differences available.
Common burdock is a naturalized biennial found in northwestern California, northern Channel Islands, and the Modoc Plateau in disturbed places at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces purple flowers in heads with involucres 8 to 10 millimeters long. Growing up to 1.5 meters tall with stiffly ascending branches, it develops a robust structure with distinctive foliage. Its large leaves can reach up to 80 centimeters long, green on top and grayish-white underneath, with a soft, fuzzy texture that becomes smoother with age. The fruit is a dark brown bur, 4 to 7.5 millimeters long, capable of clinging tenaciously to clothing and animal fur.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species (Arctium lappa). Clear size, floral, and geographic differences available.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed places
Elevation: < 1500 m
Outside California: widely naturalized in North America, native to Europe
Bloom period
Arctium minus blooms Jul-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Cirsium: Arctium has hooked bract spines and spineless leaves; Cirsium has straight spines on both bracts and leaves.; vs Xanthium: Arctium has purple thistle-like flowers with hooked bracts; Xanthium has woody enclosed burrs containing 2 seeds.; vs Volutaria: Arctium has hooked spines on bracts; Volutaria has papery expanded bract tips without spines.; vs Centaurea: Arctium has hooked spines; Centaurea has fringed or spiny but not hooked bract tips.; vs Saussurea: Arctium has hooked bract tips; Saussurea has simple unadorned bract tips.
Frequently asked questions
Is Arctium minus native to California?
No. Arctium minus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Arctium minus bloom?
Arctium minus blooms Jul-Oct.
What plant family does Arctium minus belong to?
Arctium minus is in the Asteraceae family, genus Arctium.
What habitat does Arctium minus grow in?
Arctium minus grows in Disturbed places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.