Purple Flowered Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) 

Comfrey (also known as comphrey) was cultivated by the Greeks and Romans. It has a myriad of uses, and Comfrey is one of the most useful plants you can grow in your garden. This hardy perennial produces an abundance of erect stems up to 60cm to 1m in height, bearing large lance-shaped leaves and nodding tubular bright blue flowers in summer. It will flourish in almost any soil type and situation, and as it is such a vigorous plant, it needs very little encouragement to grow well. This particular variety prefers full sun but will tolerate part shade. Caucasian Comfrey will attract bees and other pollinators to your garden.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is a perennial herb of the order Boraginaceae with a black, turnip like root and large, hairy broad leaves that bears small bell-shaped white, cream, purple or pink flowers. It is native to Europe, growing in damp, grassy places, and is widespread throughout the British Isles on river banks and ditches. Comfrey has long been recognised by both organic gardeners and herbalists for its great usefulness and versatility, of particular interest is the ‘Bocking 14’ cultivar of Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum). We alkso stock 'Bocking 14' HERE which was developed during the 1950’s by Lawrence D Hills, the founder of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (the organic gardening organisation itself named after the Quaker pioneer that first introduced Russian Comfrey into Britain in the 10’s) following trials at Bocking, near Braintree, the original home of the organisation.

Herb Usage

Comfrey has long been known as a medicinal herb, and it was cultivated by ancient civilisations for its powerful properties. Comfrey was historically used to treat a wide variety of ailments ranging from bronchial problems, broken bones, sprains, arthritis, gastric and varicose ulcers, severe burns, acne and other skin conditions. Today Comfrey is almost solely grown for its ornamental properties and for its use as a wonderful natural fertilizer and compost activator when steeped in water it is a must have for the organic gardener. 

It is important to note that Comfrey is not to be taken internally as it could cause liver damage, although there is much disagreement amongst herbalists about this claim.

For more information you can visit the PFAF (plants for a future) website here.

1 plant supplied in a 3 liter pot