Burdock Mystery!

[nastygunz]

 My brother discovered this strange burdock on his farm that looks like a regular burdock but has green and white leaves on it.  This is the response I got from a much higher authority on plant life then myself :

Hi Jim,

Thank you for sending your interesting photograph.

Burdocks are fascinating and I've seen many of them, but have never seen one like this.  This is quite striking.  Yes, this is a burdock that is typical except for its variegated foliage.

Certainly the appearance of the plant makes the hosta-burdock hybrid a real suggestion.  However, I think that's a highly unlikely scenario because hostas and burdocks are very, very distant relatives and hybrids between them are unknown.  As an analogy, imagine trying to hybridize a dog and a lizard.

The kind of variegation in this burdock also occurs occasionally in a variety of other plants.  Various causes are responsible for this kind of variegation.  Usually it is caused by a plant virus.  Another cause is an abnormality in development of the leaves.  Still another cause is damage from herbicides.

Thank you again for showing me your interesting photo.

All the best,
Rob Naczi


Robert F. C. Naczi, PhD
Arthur J. Cronquist Curator of North American Botany
New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY  10458-5126
 

[nastygunz]

[Hawks Feather]

They weren't interested in coming out and digging it and all the other Burdock plants up for you. 

[nastygunz]

Or painting the barn 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡