SimplePlant

Asteraceae

Greater burdock

Arctium lappa L.

Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Arctium

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsMildly toxic
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Mildly toxic

Mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: sharp bristles (pappus hairs).

Signs: eye irritation, skin irritation, respiratory irritation.

Greater burdock (Arctium lappa)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Is Greater burdock safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Greater burdock safe for cats?

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Greater burdock safe for dogs?

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Greater burdock safe for kids?

No. Our sources call Greater burdock mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: sharp bristles (pappus hairs). Signs: eye irritation, skin irritation, respiratory irritation.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Common names

By language (69)
ab
Адәыӡгәыр
Afrikaans
Klitskruid
Arabic
قرطب أكبر, أرقطون, أرقطيون شائك الثمر, القرطب الأكبر, رأس الحمامة, ويسار
Armenian
Կռատուկ
arz
قرطب اكبر
Asturian
Cazapetu mayor
azb
قارقا تاباغی
Azerbaijani
İri atpıtrağı
ba
Тегәнәк
Basque
Lapa-belar
Belarusian
Лопух вялікі
Bosnian
Čičak
Bulgarian
Обикновен репей
Burmese
ဆူး
Cantonese
牛蒡
Catalan
Repalassa, Grande bardane
ce
БаӀ
Chinese
牛蒡, 大力子, 恶实, 牛蒡子, 牛蒡根, 牛蒡茎叶, 牛蒡（恶实）, 惡實
Croatian
Čičak
csb
Wikszi grëzlôk
cv
Хупах
Czech
Lopuch větší
Danish
Glat Burre
Dutch
Grote klit, Grote Klis
English
Greater burdock, Beggar's buttons, Edible burdock, Gobo, Happy major, Lappa, Thorny burr
Esperanto
Lapo
Estonian
Suur takjas
Finnish
Isotakiainen
French
Grande bardane, Bardane comestible, Bardane géante, Bardane majeure, Glouteron, Herbe aux teigneux
frr
Grat bor
German
Grosse Klette, Große Klette, Grande bardane
gv
Bollan dhoa, Boaghan doa, Bollan ghoa, Cramman sooree
Hungarian
Közönséges bojtorján, Bojtorján, Nagy bojtorján
Icelandic
Króklappa
Irish
Cnádán mór
Japanese
ゴボウ, ごぼう, アクジツ, コボウコン, ゴボウシ, 悪実, 牛旁子, 牛旁根
Kazakh
Әректікен, Гастрокотиле
Korean
우엉
kw
Tavol amanyn
Kyrgyz
Ит уйгак
Latvian
Lielais diždadzis
Lithuanian
Didžioji varnalėša, Grande bardane
lzh
牛蒡
Malay
Gobō
myv
Покш кирмалав
nan
Gō͘-bō͘
Norwegian Bokmål
Storborre
Norwegian Nynorsk
Storborre
os
Æрцыхъæд, Ичъи, Къæмдзыг, Къæндзæг
Persian
گوبو
Polish
Łopian większy, Łopuch
Portuguese
Bardana
Romanian
Brusture, Brusturi
rsk
Репик
Russian
Лопух большой, Репейник большой, Лопух репейный, Репей, Репейник
Serbian
Велики чичак
sgs
Dėdliuojė varnalieša
shn
ၼၢမ်
Slovak
Lopúch väčší
Slovenian
Navadni repinec
Spanish
Agarrocha, Agarrucha, Aguipegotes, Amores ruines, Anteon, Anteón, Apegaderas, Cachorrera
stq
Kladde
Swedish
Stor kardborre, Grande bardane
Thai
โกโบ
Ukrainian
Лопух справжній, Дідовник, Лопух великий, Реп'яшник
vep
Takkiž
Walloon
Plake-madame
Welsh
Cyngaf mawr, Cacamwci, Cedowrach
wuu
牛蒡

Synonyms

  • Arcion majus Bubani
  • Arcion tomentosum Bubani
  • Arctium adhaerens Gilib.
  • Arctium bardana Willd.
  • Arctium chaorum Klokov
  • Arctium grandiflorum Desf.
  • Arctium lappa subsp. lappa
  • Arctium lappa subsp. majus (Gaertn.) Arènes
  • Arctium lappa var. lappa
  • Arctium leiospermum Juz. & Ye.V.Serg.
  • Arctium majus Bernh.
  • Arctium ruderale Salisb.
  • Arctium vulgare (Hill) Druce
  • Bardana arctium Hill
  • Bardana lappa Hill
  • Lappa glabra Lam.
  • Lappa major Gaertn.
  • Lappa nemorosa Körn. ex Griewank
  • Lappa officinalis All.
  • Lappa vulgaris Hill
  • Lappa vulgaris var. vulgaris

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Biennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

More in Arctium

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.