Burdock Crisis 1: Boston Parks and Landscape to Be Ruined by a Nonnative Plant Species

During the COVID-19 pandemic, burdock, a biennial weed, has enjoyed rampant proliferation on the outskirt of Boston. In the two parks surveyed, burdock has established its dominance and is wiping out other weeds and destroying the diversity of local vegetation. Given the proximity and connection of the two parks to Downtown Boston, it was suspected that burdock infestation might have spread to the Downtown as well. Indeed, a massive number of first-year burdock plants were identified on the Charles River Esplanade in 2022. The City of Boston is facing an imminent outbreak of burdock infestation that threatens to ruin its parks and landscape in October 2023.