Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Burdock 'Takinogawa' (Arctium lappa 'Takinogawa')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Takinogawa burdock, gobo, greater burdock.

More about burdock 'takinogawa'

About Burdock 'Takinogawa'

Arctium lappa 'Takinogawa' · also called Takinogawa burdock, gobo · edible

'Takinogawa' is the classic Japanese gobo, a burdock selection grown for its long, slender, deeply flavoured taproot. Sown in spring, it drives a root up to a metre into loose soil over a single season. Robust and easy in deep, stone-free ground, it is a staple of kinpira and simmered dishes prized for its earthy, nutty crunch.

Cold limit: USDA 3-9 (grown as an annual root crop) · RHS H7 (15-25°C)

Watch for — Bolting: Heat stress or overwintering pushes the plant to flower, ruining the root. Sow in spring and harvest in the first season before it runs to seed.

What burdock 'takinogawa''s hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for burdock 'takinogawa': it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". Its RHS rating of H7 means: Hardy in the severest European continental winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3-9 (grown as an annual root crop) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

Concretely, for burdock 'takinogawa' as it gets too cold:

Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.

Can burdock 'takinogawa' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when burdock 'takinogawa' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline burdock 'takinogawa'

Burdock 'Takinogawa' is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.

Burdock 'Takinogawa' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is burdock 'takinogawa' cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for burdock 'takinogawa': it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. Burdock 'Takinogawa' is grown 3-9 (grown as an annual root crop); you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature burdock 'takinogawa' can survive?

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

What hardiness zone is burdock 'takinogawa'?

Burdock 'Takinogawa' is rated USDA 3-9 (grown as an annual root crop) and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can burdock 'takinogawa' survive winter outside?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

How do I protect burdock 'takinogawa' from frost?

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.