Organic Answers Column – May 18, 2022

Comfrey – A Useful Perennial that Every Gardener Should Plant

Comfrey is an attractive perennial that every gardener should have growing somewhere near the compost pile. Even non-gardeners will find its attractiveness and other benefits worth the effort of growing. Comfrey is a tough perennial herb with large, dark, fuzzy green leaves and beautiful light blue or pink bell-like flowers. It is a beautiful landscape plant but has some other important uses.

Symphytum officinale is the botanical name. The common names include: comfrey, knitbone, black root, blackwort, bruisewort, common comfrey, gum plant, healing herb, prickley comfrey, salsify, slippery root and wallwort.

It can be planted year round in partial shade to full sun by transplants, root divisions, or seeds. Comfrey grows to a height of 24 to 36 inches with a spread of 36 to 48 inches or more. It has bell-shaped flowers in several pastel colors and needs ample water, but that’s about it. It is very easy to grow but will do better in healthy soil and grows best in morning sun and afternoon shade.

Comfrey can get a little floppy and even somewhat invasive; the roots are tenacious and once established and small pieces they will generate new plants. All parts of the plant including old leaves are excellent for helping stimulate biological activity in the compost pile.

Juice from the leaves and stems can be used anytime for topical treatments of the skin. I just daub on juice made from grinding the leaves and stems in a blender. Can be used as a rinse for skin problems on pets. Infused oil has been used to treat arthritis, skin wounds, diseases such as psoriasis and poison ivy. A poultice with its juice can be used to remove warts and other growths. I don’t recommend internal use of comfrey.

Comfrey juice can be applied topically for rashes, scrapes, insect bites, spider bites and some people use it as a general skin and sore joint treatment. Concentrated juices or teas for animal and human skin problems should be kept refrigerated.

For dogs with skin problems, cook a mess of comfrey leaves and stems, let the dark pot liquor cool and then dilute it down to a light iced tea color, then pour the comfrey tea into the dog’s fur and gently daub down to the skin. Do not take comfrey internally or let pets drink. It is a very powerful and important herb but shouldn’t be overused. A tea made from the leaves is very soothing to your pets with skin rashes.

Whether you choose to use it medicinally or not, plant comfrey as an ornamental perennial and independent organic stores should have it in stock.

Here is our Library entry for even more information: https://www.dirtdoctor.com/garden/Comfrey_vq303.htm