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Symphytum officinale - L.
Territorial
Common Name Comfrey Seed Company
Vegetable,
Flower, and Herb
Family Boraginaceae
seeds. Organic,
rare, and
Synonyms heirloom types.
www.Te rritorialSe e …

This plant contains small Large Designer

quantities of a toxic alkaloid Planters
which can have a cumulative Buy Direct from a
effect upon the liver. Largest US Manufacturer
concentrations are found in the Made to Order-
roots, leaves contain higher pick
quantities of the alkaloid as they style,size,color
grow older and young leaves www.Allie d-Molde d…
contain almost none. Most
people would have to consume
very large quantities of the plant
in order to do any harm, though Personal
Known Hazards anyone with liver problems Handyman?
should obviously be more Save time and
cautious. In general, the health- money The
promoting properties of the plant future of home
probably far outweigh any improvement
possible disbenefits, especially O wne rAide .com
if only the younger leaves are
used. Use topically on unbroken
skin. May cause loss of appetite,
abdominal pain, vomiting. Do not Lower Blood
use with Eucalyptus. Do not Pressure
combine with herbs containing
Without the Use
pyrrolizidine alkaloids (e.g.
of Drugs.
agrimony, alpine ragwort, help,
Download a Free
tansy ragwort) [301].
91-page Report.
Ne wportNaturalHe …
Damp, often shady localities, in
meadows, woods etc, especially
Habitats near streams and rivers[9, 17,
244].

Europe, including Britain, south

Range and east from Scandanavia to
Spain, Siberia and Turkey.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

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Physical Characteristics

Symphytum officinale is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in) at

a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to June, and
the seeds ripen from Jun to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both
male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.

Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow
in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can
grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Habitats
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Hedgerow; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves.
Edible Uses: Gum; Tea.

Young leaves - cooked or raw[2, 4, 5, 9, 46, 61]. The leaf is hairy and the texture is mucilaginous. It may be full of minerals but it is not pleasant eating for most tastes.
It can be chopped up finely and added to salads, in this way the hairiness is not so obvious[183, K]. Young shoots can be used as an asparagus substitute[46]. The
blanched stalks are used[183]. Older leaves can be dried and used as a tea[26]. The peeled roots are cut up and added to soups[183]. A tea is made from the dried
leaves and roots[183]. The roasted roots are used with dandelion and chicory roots for making coffee[183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsib ility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional b efore using a plant
medicinally.

Anodyne; Antidiarrhoeal; Antirheumatic; Astringent; Demulcent; Emollient; Expectorant; Haemostatic; Homeopathy; Refrigerant; Vulnerary.

Comfrey is a commonly used herbal medicine with a long and proven history in the treatment of various complaints. The root and the leaves are used, the root being
more active, and they can be taken internally or used externally as a poultice[4, 222]. Comfrey is especially useful in the external treatment of cuts, bruises, sprains,
sores, eczema, varicose veins, broken bones etc, internally it is used in the treatment of a wide range of pulmonary complaints, internal bleeding etc[4, 238, K]. The
plant contains a substance called 'allantoin', a cell proliferant that speeds up the healing process[4, 21, 26, 165, 222, 238]. This substance is now synthesized in the
pharmaceutical industry and used in healing creams[238]. The root and leaves are anodyne, astringent (mild), demulcent, emollient, expectorant, haemostatic,
refrigerant, vulnerary[4, 21, 26, 165, 222]. Some caution is advised, however, especially in the internal use of the herb. External applications and internally taken teas
or tinctures of the leaves are considered to be completely safe, but internal applications of tablets or capsules are felt to have too many drawbacks for safe
usage[238]. See also the notes above on toxicity. The leaves are harvested in early summer before the plant flowers, the roots are harvested in the autumn. Both are
dried for later use[238]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh root, harvested before the plant flowers[232]. This has a very limited range of application, but is
of great benefit in the treatment of broken bones and eye injuries[232]. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve
Symphytum officinale for blunt injuries (see [302] for critics of commission E).

Other Uses
Biomass; Compost; Gum.

The plant grows very quickly, producing a lot of bulk. It is tolerant of being cut several times a year and can be used to provide 'instant compost' for crops such as
potatoes. Simply layer the wilted leaves at the bottom of the potato trench or apply them as a mulch in no-dig gardens. A liquid feed can be obtained by soaking the
leaves in a small amount of water for a week, excellent for potassium demanding crops such as tomatoes. The leaves are also a very valuable addition to the
compost heap[26, 200]. A gum obtained from the roots was at one time used in the treatment of wool before it was spun[100].

Cultivation details
Tolerates most soils and situations but prefers a moist soil and some shade[1, 4]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Best grown in an open sunny site in a deep rich
soil if it is being grown for compost material[200]. Plants can be invasive, often spreading freely by means of self-sown seed. The root system is very deep and
difficult to eradicate, even small fragments of root left in the soil can produce new plants.

Propagation
Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse
for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. If you have sufficient seed you can try
an outdoor sowing in situ in the spring. Division succeeds at almost any time of the year. Simply use a spade to chop off the top 7cm of root just below the soil level.
The original root will regrow and you will have a number of root tops, each of which will make a new plant. These can either be potted up or planted out straight into
their permanent positions.

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Expert comment

Author
L.

Botanical References
17200

Links / References

[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

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[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[5]Mabey. R. Food for Free.
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.
[9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[26]Hills. L. Comfrey Report.
A small booklet giving a fairly comprehensive guide to the uses of comfrey.
[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual
reader.
[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the
uses. Not for the casual reader.
[100]Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide.
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.
[165]Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American
nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[222]Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field
guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[232]Castro. M. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook.
A concise beginner's guide to the subject. Very readable.
[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main
quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[244]Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
[301]Karalliedde. L. and Gawarammana. I. Traditional Herbal Medicines
A guide to the safer use of herbal medicines.
[302]From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Commission E
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_E

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
Jakob Davies S. Thu Nov 29 00:53:10 2001
About the TEXT:

It's really NOT a comment about the plant, rather regarding an apparent spelling error. In "Known Hazards" the text beginns by saying: This plant contains small
quantities of a toxic alkaliod, (should this not read: "alkaLOID"??), which can have a cumulative effect upon the liver. ...

Not being facetious, just trying to help, honest.

Elizabeth H.
Chris Thu Mar 31 03:26:18 2005
Richo Cech of Horizon Herbs, says in his book "Making Plant Medicine" p 127-8 that comfrey should not be used in pregnancy as it could be life threatening to
the fetus. I have read that rabbit people recommend it for rabbits but would it be harmful to pregnant ones?

Elizabeth H.
George Fri Nov 11 2005
What's a rabbit person? Is it a human-rabbit hybrid?

Elizabeth H.
Dr Jaume Camps Tue Jun 12 2007
In some poarts of Spain we use the comfrey as food. Only the young leaves, after cleaning their hair. Simply boiled. In Aragon is a real "delicatessen". The
Symphytum officinale was the principal ingredient in a haemostatic balsam formula, used in humans and animals,"invented" by the great Veterinary Dr
Segimón Malats, who created the first Vet University College in Madrid, sixt in the world, in 1.772.

Elizabeth H.
juan de Marcken Mon Feb 18 2008
I disagree completely about culinary qualities of this plant wich I rate among the best the intire leaf can be prepare as spenach though more palatable and fried
with donuts'kind of paste it is outstanding specialy with a slice of dutch cheese or sheddar in it. just try and you will certainly agree with me bon appétit!

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 Elizabeth H.
Guy Fri Mar 7 2008
I have found nothing better to close a clean wound quickly than a poultice of comfrey.

Elizabeth H.
Mi Bri Tue Jun 3 2008
There are several varieties of Comfrey as developed by the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA). The most commonly available variety (in UK) is
Bocking 14. This variety has high levels of allantoin (for healing) and high levels of Potassium which makes it less palatable. A more palatable variety is Bocking
4 which has less Potassium. This folk remedy is popular in America where it is used in 'green drinks' as a tonic. In the last six months I have only found a
supplier (of Bocking 4) in Canada. Ref: Comfrey Past Present and Future. Author: Lawrence D Hills (of the HDRA)

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