Every year in the spring, a large spread of comfrey is one of the first things to turn green in the garden. Spear-shaped leaves pop through the soil, reaching towards the spring sunshine, quickly growing into a rosette-shaped plant and producing beautiful, bell-shaped flowers that the bees love!
But what are the benefits of comfrey? Why do we have it growing on our homestead in the first place? What’s the point of this plant? In this article, we want to explore the many varied benefits of comfrey, explaining why it’s such an important plant to our family’s homestead.
What is Comfrey?
But first, what is comfrey, anyway?
Comfrey (Symphytum spp.) is a plant in the Boraginaceae (borage) family. There are many different varieties available, but two of the most common include:
- Common Comfrey or True Comfrey – Symphytum officinale
- Russian Comfrey (i.e., Bocking 4 or Bocking 14) – Symphytum uplandicum
Both of these comfrey varieties are perennial plants, growing somewhat tall (2-3′ normally) and producing taproots underneath the plants that reach deeply into the soil and pull up nutrients.
We grow Russian Comfrey (more on why in a moment), which produces spear-shaped, hairy leaves that can grow very large and broad as the season progresses. The pictures here are mostly of Russian Comfrey. This plant clusters into a messy rosette-type shape, and it produces bell-shaped, reddish-purple flowers.
Growing Comfrey: How to Plant Comfrey
True comfrey can be propagated from seed (and thus spreads itself, becoming a nuisance plant if left unchecked). However, the sterile Russian Comfrey Bocking 14 Cultivator that we grow can only be propagated from root cuttings or live plants (referred to as crowns because they have sprouted already). It’s still easy to grow, but it doesn’t have the same spreading tendency as the True Comfrey variety.
In moist soil, plant comfrey root cuttings about 2-8″ deep, 2-3′ apart. Plant on the shallow side in clay soil and on the deeper side in sandy soil. (If planting in small pots or containers instead of directly in the ground, transplant the young seedlings into the ground once their leaves appear.) If you’re planting crowns, plant them about 3-6″ deep instead.
Growing Conditions for Comfrey
Comfrey prefers rich soil, medium moisture, and full/partial sun. Overall, however, it’s a hardy plant that has been known to handle both spring and fall temperatures, along with excess moisture and shade. It even tolerates drought once it’s established!
It is suggested that you let it dry out between waterings. Overwatering comfrey will discourage its growth. It can also be fertilized using manure (even fresh manure!) in the fall and spring.
One of the benefits of comfrey is that it is a persistent perennial plant that’s very difficult to destroy once it’s planted. When you plant comfrey in your garden, it will remain in that area basically forever. Since both varieties can be propagated by the roots, even tilling comfrey under will not destroy it. (In fact, tilling actually can cause it to spread further, since it breaks the roots into little pieces and each root piece will sprout as a new plant.)
Benefits of Comfrey on the Homestead
Thankfully, there are so many uses for comfrey, it’s not going to be a waste! It’s especially beneficial on a homestead or farm.
Why is comfrey such a wonderful plant? It comes down to the rich nutrients found in comfrey. Comfrey is full of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, silicon, iodine, and other important phytocompounds, including allantoin and proteins (22-33%!). As a dynamic accumulator, its roots are reported to grow up to 10 feet down into the soil, which means it can accumulate and concentrate nutrients into the leaves of the plant.
How to Harvest Comfrey
Comfrey grows quickly throughout the season, so you can enjoy multiple harvests from your plants, as long as you don’t harvest too late in the year – it will need a little time to prepare itself for winter, so don’t pick too much too late. Harvest comfrey leaves when they reach about 1-2′ in height, ideally before the flowers bloom. Pick healthy, mature leaves. Cut off the leaf from the bottom of the stems. Once the plant is well established, its leaves will grow again very quickly and you shouldn’t worry much about cutting it back. (It may take a few years for the plant to get to this point, so be gentler on newer plants that may still be struggling to get established.)
Comfrey roots, while less commonly used except for medicinal purposes, may also be dug using a shovel or garden fork. Just remember that any pieces left in the soil will sprout as a new plant, so it’s best not to disturb them unless you need to propagate plants. Because the roots go so deep, it’s very difficult to get all of a comfrey plant’s roots out of the soil after it’s about 6-12 months old.
Comfrey for Feeding Animals
Comfrey has been used as feed for MANY different kinds of homestead animals, including cows, sheep, goats, poultry (including chickens and ducks), pigs, horses, and rabbits (though some sources suggest using in moderate quantities). Animals generally love munching on the tasty comfrey leaves.
Homemade Comfrey Fertilizer or Mulch
In the garden, comfrey can be used to help feed plants. There are several different ways it is used.
First, it can be laid down underneath plants like a natural mulch, which will then break down into the soil. This is an especially common system to use in permaculture, where comfrey is often planted underneath larger bushes and trees.
Second, comfrey can also be used to make homemade comfrey tea fertilizer. This is made by combining mashed comfrey leaves and water in a bucket and allowing the mixture to ferment for a period of time. The liquid is then used as a natural fertilizer for your garden. (We’ll be posting a recipe for comfrey tea fertilizer in the future – stay tuned!) Comfrey can also be added to your compost piles.
Comfrey Medicinal Uses
Finally, comfrey has a rich history in herbalism and even some food applications. Traditionally known by the name “knitbone” or “boneset”, it was commonly used for injuries to the skin, bones, and other tissues. It is said that comfrey increases cell proliferation and speeds up healing. Herbalists have been known to list comfrey in relation to things like skin injuries, wounds, ulcers, coughs, and much, much more.
In addition, comfrey can be used to make oils. Harvest fresh leaves, dry them, and then soak the plant material in oil for a period of time, allowing the comfrey to infuse into the oil. This oil can then be used to make salves too. My wife uses comfrey for salves, and we use it constantly around here.
In addition, comfrey can also be made into a poultice by crushing or chopping up the fresh plant material and applying it externally using a cloth.
Comfrey has also been used as a tea and in other herbal preparations, though this is somewhat controversial. In fact, comfrey for internal use is no longer “officially” recommended for humans or animals, though we regularly use it for animal feed supplement ourselves. If you’d like to read more about this part of its history, click here.
On a more personal note, we think the research shows some mixed findings, so we recommend that people use it moderation, even though there has been no proof of illness-causing toxicity even in large amounts.
Comfrey is said to contain different types of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, but there is conflicting information about the differences between Common Comfrey and Russian Comfrey in this regard – as well as conflicting opinions on whether or not this particular plant should be consumed internally or in large amounts.
One chart in a book by Lawrence D. Hills said the dried comfrey leaves contained:
- S. officinale (Common Comfrey) = .034% alkaloid
- Russian Comfrey Bocking #14 = .024% alkaloid
It is worth mentioning that this is another benefit to growing your own comfrey. It can be a plant that is more difficult to get ahold of commercially, due to the controversy mentioned above. Planting it yourself ensures you will always have a strong, local source for comfrey leaves and roots, for personal use and sharing with your friends and family!
Where Can I Find Comfrey to Plant?
We sell Russian Comfrey root cuttings and crowns on our website! This variety is extremely high in allatoins and proteins, the highest of any comfrey. The bees love the flowers and will grow prolifically in the garden, but like I mentioned before, it won’t spread.
What’s the Difference Between Comfrey Live Crowns & Live Root Cuttings?
You may have noticed we carry two different comfrey starts on our website. What’s the difference? Well, live crowns have the top of the plant already sprouted. They grow to maturity faster than root pieces. Live root cuttings, however, are 1-2″ pieces of the root that will sprout and grow into a plant.
Otherwise, they yield the same end result: comfrey, a wonderful plant that has many uses in the garden and on the homestead, and one that will continue producing benefits for generations yet to come!
Experience the Benefits of Comfrey Yourself – Plant Your Own:
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