In Russia, this plant is compared with a "lop ear" and treated with contempt in Russian folklore. In Scotland, on the contrary, burdock is a symbol of masculinity and strength, it is even depicted on the national coat of arms. They placed it on the coat of arms after the thistle helped the Scots win the war. The story goes, at night, the enemy army attempted to sneak into the besieged Scottish fortress. But one of the soldiers stepped on a prickly plant and screamed in pain, thereby waking up the sleeping Scots, and so they were able to repel the surprise attack.

Due to its wide distribution and low cost, thistle has become the basis of many popular medicinal recipes. For example, a popular remedy for allergies and skin diseases is infusion of roots of thistle. It is also taken as a means of normalizing blood pressure. Thistle roots contain a large amount of inulin – a substance that is a natural sweetener, so its use is recommended to some people people suffering from diabetes.