Mash up a leaf to make a poultice and gently put onto the cut, then wrap the other leaf around the wound. If you cut yourself when you’re in your garden, just grab two leaves and rub them together to knock off the leaves’ prickly hairs. According to newer research, doing so can damage the liver and lungs, and even cause cancer.
Besides being used to mend broken bones it’s also used for healing wounds and lung ailments, stopping heavy bleeding, and for topical skin treatments.Įven though it’s been used in traditional medicine for centuries, it’s strongly suggested to not take it internally. Its Latin name, Symphytum, comes from Greek words meaning “growing together of bones” and “plant’”. The Romans and Greeks cultivated comfrey as far back as 400BC for its medicinal properties. Its roots and flowers can also be harvested for their medicinal attributes. It’s not just the leaves that can be harvested for making medicine either. The leaves are kind of prickly, so you may want to wear gloves when trimming. If you start cutting leaves any sooner there’s a good chance that it won’t grow any of its pollinator attracting flowers! Once your comfrey is about two feet tall, you’ll be able to begin harvesting the leaves. Wait until the second season to begin harvesting. Harvesting Your Comfrey Plantįocus on keeping your plant happy during the first growing season so it develops a healthy root system. My 4th year comfrey really puts off a lot of flowers, so there’s always a lot of buzzing and fluttering about around it. I’ve seen all sorts of different types of bees, ladybugs, ants, and butterflies visiting mine regularly.
This plant’s small, bell-shaped flowers are wonderful pollinator attractors. The leaves can take temperatures of 15 degrees and still survive, and the roots can survive to -40 degrees! Depending on your location, it’ll die back each winter and return each new season, healthier and larger than the previous. It’s frost tolerant and hardy in zones 4-9. If you’re in a hot climate, it’s best to figure out some type of irrigation to get the best from your comfrey plant.
Growing Zones LeneA / PixabayĬomfrey can grow in full sun or partial shade, but will begin to wilt if exposed extremely hot, dry conditions. You can expect to see their violet, pink, or creamy yellow flowers in late spring or early summer.
If you’re planting several near each other, plant them at least 3 feet apart. Make sure to plant deeper in sandy soil, and shallower in clay soil.Ī healthy comfrey plant can bush out to 4 feet and reach a height of 3-5 feet tall. A three- to-six-inch root section can be planted horizontally about two to six inches deep. It’s sterile, and therefore won’t spread by seed-it’s propagated by root cuttings instead.
If you don’t want your patch to spread too quickly, try the aforementioned “Bocking 14” variety. Comfrey excels at self-sowing its seeds, causing it to spread quicker than you may want it to. They’re fairly common and shouldn’t be much trouble to find. An alternative is to just purchase a comfrey plant from a nursery. You can easily start comfrey by seed, but it needs a winter chill to germinate properly. It’ll return this favor by growing lots of thick vegetation throughout the growing season, which you can use for various reasons. Working a bit of compost in before planting should do the trick. To get the most out of your comfrey plant, add some nitrogen into the soil. It’s not too particular about pH, but a neutral to acidic range of 6.0 – 7.0 is just about right. It’s actually just a hybrid of common comfrey ( Symphytum officinale) and rough comfrey ( Symphytum asperum).Īny average, well-drained soil will work fine to grow your comfrey, but it prefers moist, fertile soil. By far, the most common type found is “Bocking 14″-a Russian comfrey ( Symphytum x uplandicum).
There are at least 35 recognized types of comfrey that have been cultivated. Otherwise, you’ll soon see a brand new comfrey plant popping out of the ground. You can’t leave even one little piece of its tap root in the soil. Attempting to dig out all of the root system to move your comfrey patch is easier said than done. Comfrey is a deep-rooted perennial, so planning out where to start a patch is very important. One thing to keep in mind when planting comfrey is permanence. Read on to learn why you need this spectacular plant in your own garden. Additionally, it has been used a medicine for at least 2500 years. It can be used as a nutrient-rich mulch, a beautiful pollinator attractor, and a “compost booster”. For those of us who like to get the most out of our gardens, selecting plant that serve more than one purpose is the way to go! One of my favorite herbs, the comfrey plant, is a multitasking master.