Comfrey is an ancient medicinal plant that is also very interesting for bumblebees. We introduce the comfrey herb and reveal how to grow it in your own garden.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), also known as Wallwurz, has all kinds of healing powers. Therefore, people have been using it for thousands of years. The borage plant (Boraginaceae) is often found as a native weed in species-rich meadows and forest edges. We show the diverse uses of comfrey and explain the cultivation of the valuable herb step by step.
Comfrey: Origin and Characteristics
Comfrey is a perennial wild and medicinal plant native to us. The plant can live up to 20 years if it does well in the area.
Comfrey (Symphytum) includes about 40 species , native to Eurasia and North Africa. Our native species, Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is common between Spain and China. Comfrey is a herbaceous, perennial plant that dies above ground in winter and sprout again in spring. The deciduous perennial has roots down to a depth of 1.80 meters, grows to a height of around 30 to 60 centimeters and forms large leaves. The rigid stem and leaves are rough and bristly hairy, which is a typical feature of members of the borage family - as well as forget-me-nots (Myosotis), bee friend (Phacelia tanacetifolia ) and Viper Bugloss (Echium vulgare) - is. The flowers hang down in multiples in so-called double whorls. They are reminiscent of small bells and are purple, yellow or white in colour. Comfrey blooms from May to October, depending on the variety and location. Only bee species with a long proboscis can use the nectar of the comfrey flower, which is why bumblebees (Bombus sp.) and other large wild bees usually gather for the banquet. However, most flowers are sterile and only rarely do seeds develop. Wallwurz reproduces primarily vegetatively via the runners of its rhizome, i.e. its creeping storage shoot.
Comfrey and Co.: types and varieties of comfrey
Comfrey is divided into several species that are used either as a medicinal plant, fodder plant or ornamental plant. We introduce you to the most important types and varieties of comfrey:
Comfrey is divided into three subspecies: White Comfrey (Symphytum officinale ssp. bohemicum), Comfrey ( Symphytum officinale ssp. officinale) and swamp comfrey (Symphytum officinale ssp. uliginosum). In addition to the common comfrey, the rough comfrey (Symphytum asperum) from the Caucasus can also be seen more often. This species reaches heights of growth of up to 180 centimeters and is therefore significantly higher than the real comfrey. It was introduced as a fodder plant in the 16th century because it is much poorer in harmful pyrrolizidine alkaloids. A hybrid of common comfrey and rough comfrey was created, forage comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum). This is completely free of alkaloids and so it is not only fed, but also administered as a medicinal plant in capsules for internal use. An ornamental species of comfrey is the blue comfrey (Symphytum azureum), which is particularly impressive with its sky-blue flower colour. In many perennial nurseries you will find a wide variety of varieties of the Lesser Caucasus Comfrey (Symphytum grandiflorum
). The variety of varieties ranges from 'Miraculum' with red-pink-white flowers to 'Hidcote Blue' with deep red buds and white-soft blue flowers to 'Blue Bells' with large, blue-violet flowers and wine-red buds.
Planting & Propagating Comfrey
If you want to plant comfrey, you can grow it using seeds, propagate vegetatively by division or use young plants from perennial nurseries.
Comfrey seeds are planted in March on a warm windowsill in nutrient-poor soil such as our Plantura Bio - Herb and sowing soil sown. In warm regions it can also be sown directly into the ground from April. The sowing depth is 5 centimeters. Comfrey germinates somewhat irregularly and should be transplanted into nutrient-rich soil, such as our Plantura organic universal soil, after about three weeks if it is grown indoors. In May, the young plants are placed in their final location, where they take root over the summer and thus survive the winter.
However, it is much easier than sowingdividing an existing comfrey perennial. With a sharp spade, part of the roots including the buds are cut off in the spring and planted in a new place. Of course, plants from the perennial nursery or the garden center can also be planted. When planting, be careful not to damage the rhizomes and put sufficient high-quality potting soil in the generously laid out planting hole.
Comfrey can be propagated from its own seeds, the so-called Klaus fruits. They rarely form, however, since most flowers are sterile. The seeds are collected in autumn and left to dry indoors so that they can be sown in the spring. As already described, however, vegetative propagation by root cuttings and division is the much simpler option.
Comfrey Location
If you want to plant comfrey, you should find an optimal spot for it in partially shaded to sunny areas that have well-moist, humus-rich soil. The ideal location for comfrey is under the canopy of old trees, where the plant usually finds the humus-rich soil it needs.
Comfrey Care
Comfrey and related species require little care, as wild plants they are very adaptable and undemanding. When planting comfrey, there are just a few points to consider when watering and fertilizing.
Water Comfrey
Comfrey always needs well moist soil. Especially in the first year after planting, it should always be watered sufficiently, because dried out soil promises the death of the medicinal plant. Even older plants should be watered regularly in extremely dry summers.
Tip: With a mulch layer made of organic materials, the soil stays moist much longer and you save liters of irrigation water.
Fertilize Comfrey
As a perennial plant, comfrey often stands in the same place for many years. Every now and then the nutrient supply should be replenished by fertilizing, especially if the common comfrey is harvested regularly. Spreading an organic universal fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer in the spring is sufficient to cover the needs of comfrey. Alternatively, it is also possible to use mature compost.
Use of Comfrey
Comfrey has a long history as a medicinal plant and is still often used today as a comfrey ointment. But comfrey can also be used for fertilizationuse.
Comfrey as fertilizer
Comfrey herb can be fermented into a nutrient-rich plant manure. In addition to the main nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, it also contains numerous micronutrients and silicic acid. The manure can also be used to fertilize and strengthen plants against pathogens and pests in a ratio of 1:10 in the irrigation water. However, in order not to weaken the comfrey itself too much, only the non-blooming shoots should be harvested - and at most four times a year.
Comfrey as a medicinal plant
Only comfrey has been used as a medicinal plant since ancient times. Comfrey's name, both in German and Latin, refers to one of its most important uses, bone healing with comfrey. Symphytum and the old German word "wallen" mean "to grow together" and "leg" used to refer to bones.
The root or, more rarely, the comfrey was used for treatment. Both contain mucilage, saponins, tannins, the skin-caring allantoin and, typical for borage plants, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which have a toxic effect on organs and tissue when used internally. Comfrey or comfrey ointment should therefore only be used externally and not applied to open wounds. The comfrey effect is analgesic, wound-healing and anti-inflammatory. That's why ointments, gels and other comfrey extracts are mainly used for sports injuries such as strains and bruises, but also for rheumatic pain.
Tip: Make your own comfrey ointment
In order to make comfrey ointment from the raw product, the comfrey root, you first have to extract an oil getting produced. For this purpose, finely chopped comfrey root is placed in a closed container in olive oil for four to six weeks. A salve can then be made from it with the help of beeswax and some heat.
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