Herb of the Week: Burdock!

Good Monday Morning All and Happy Labor Day! It's been a busy but very productive week here at A Snail's Pace and I just want to touch on a couple of important happenings! First, our domain is all officially set up and live worldwide-WHOOP! Second, our online store is up and live WHOOP! And finally, the 1st edition of our newsletter The Mushroom News is published! Please take a moment to look at that and catch up on what we have been doing, and what we have planned, plus exciting announcements coming up! One final tidbit, Our merch line is complete! Many of you have requested snail merchandise and we have delivered! You will not be disappointed and I can't wait to open that shop hopefully mid-week.

Now, onto our Herb of the Week: Burdock!

I chose to showcase Burdock because it has a fascinating history. Besides the medicinal properties that I will link here (https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-burdock-root)

Burdock also paved the way for the invention of Velcro! WHAT? That's right, velcro as we know it today was invented due to the Burdock flower. So the short version goes that in 1941, a Swiss engineer named George de Mestral was walking with his dog through some woods and later found burrs in the fur of his dog. Oddly the burrs were the flower of the burdock plant that is spiky in nature. Mr. Mestral then wanted to re-create that texture in a hook-and-loop fastener that we know today as Velcro. The longer, more detailed version can be read here: (https://www.velcro.com/news-and-blog/2016/11/an-idea-that-stuck-how-george-de-mestral-invented-the-velcro-fastener/)

Be on the lookout for this phenomenal medicinal plant in your yard and be sure not to mow it down! Join us again next Monday for a new Herb of the Week and until then, happy foraging!

Love and Mushrooms,

Ginger