Description
The perennial flower comfrey (Symphytum officinale) grows naturally in bunches along riverbanks and in meadows. It can also make a lovely addition to container plantings and wildflower gardens. The plant gets a little taller than wide as it grows. It has up to 8 inches of big, pointed, dark green leaves with a rough, hairy feel. On a plant, the lower leaves are often larger than the upper ones. Late spring brings clusters of small bell-shaped flowers blooming on drooping stems.
Habitat
Originating in Europe, common comfrey was brought to North America for its decorative and therapeutic properties. These days, it can be found in Australia, Japan, North America, and Europe. The hairy plant known as common comfrey grows in moist areas near rivers, fens, ditches, roadside verges, and waste ground.
Uses
This herb has been used to treat fractures, sprains, strains, torn muscles and ligaments, bruising, and osteoarthritis. In the past, stomach problems were also treated with comfrey. On the other hand, it contains toxic substances known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can cause severe liver damage.
Varieties
The common name “comfrey” is also used by a number of similar species, such as:
Symphytum caucasicum: Because of its pink blooms that turn bright blue as they age, this plant is also known as “Caucasian” comfrey or blue comfrey.
Symphytum grandiflorum: This plant, sometimes referred to as large-flowered comfrey, has eye-catching cream to white blossoms.
Symphytum x uplandicum: Often referred to as “Russian” comfrey, this sterile hybrid has violet flowers and can reach a height of up to 6 feet. This is the variety of comfrey most frequently found in American gardens, despite its name associating it with a nation distant from the United States.
Uplandicum x Symphytum “Axminster Gold”: A beautiful hybrid with big, yellow-and-green leaves shaped like bananas.
Plant Care
- Light
Comfrey requires at least three hours of direct sunlight most days, while it may grow in both full and partial shade. Plant it in the warmer regions of its growing zones, where it will receive protection from the hot afternoon sun.
- Soil
The plant is tolerant of many different types of soil, including relatively sandy and clayey soil. However, it favors loamy, organically rich soil with good drainage. It grows best in soil that is slightly acidic to neutral, yet it may also survive slightly alkaline soil.
- Water
Even soil moisture is ideal for comfrey plants. Once established, they can withstand some drought, but they still demand a modest amount of water. Young plants should have continuously damp but not soggy soil. When the top inch or two of the soil starts to dry out, water mature plants.
- Temperature and Humidity
Within its growing zones, comfrey can withstand temperatures that range from severely cold to extremely hot. When the frost and freezing temperatures approach in late autumn, it will die back. However, the plant’s roots will persist, and it will reappear in the spring. Comfrey usually doesn’t mind the humidity as long as the soil is kept sufficiently moist.
- Fertilizer
Regularly adding organic amendments to the soil, such a layer of compost every spring, is the ideal feeding schedule for comfrey. Because comfrey’s deep roots pull nutrients from the soil, including calcium and magnesium, phosphate, potassium, and nitrogen, additional nitrogen is not needed.
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