Comfrey is an herb worthy of condition in gardens of all sizes . Its utility in the apothecary , in the compost or as a fertilizer makes this herb one of the most worthful plants that any gardener could grow .
The mutual healing herb , Symphytum officinale , is a perennial works in the borage kinsperson , native to Europe but now wide naturalized throughout western Asia as well as most of North America . unfold by seed , it can quickly overpower an area , especially if not glean or the right way manage .
A loanblend , Sympytumxuplandicum , or Russian cumfrey , has take in in popularity amongst gardener and permaculturists alike . It ’s a sterile plant that does not bring forth seeds , so you propagate this Russian multifariousness through stem division or by stem press clipping .
Using Comfrey in the Garden
Even just a smattering of industrial plant will put up the gardener with endless value . fertile in silica , nitrogen , magnesium , atomic number 20 , potassium and iron , add comfrey leave to compost bins as a natural activator . Or you could rip up them and utilize as a nutrient - thick mulch around yield trees , tomato plant and other garden crops .
The long , dark taproot compass deep into the territory . They distil nutrients unprocurable to many other garden crops .
you could also brew the leaves into a potent smooth fertiliser often refer to by gardeners as merely “ comfrey tea , ” which is easy to make !
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Comfrey in the Apothecary
Herbalists have made use of comfrey for centuries , prescribing the herb for a blanket range of ailments .
Modern practitioners obviate internal use due to the herb ’s high pyrrolizidine alkaloid content . ( The compound which is considered toxic and potentially negative to the liver . ) But topical applications are still commonly used .
you’re able to craft a simple herbal unction from comfrey bequeath to treat all style of external ailments , admit :
you could easily make this product by infusing dried comfrey leaves in olive or helianthus oil color . Then just meld the herbal oil with melted beeswax . ( If you ’d like to go deeper into herbal salves , I provide more detailed entropy in my bookThe Artisan Herbalist . )
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Growing Comfrey
Comfrey is soft to mature and very vigorous . It does well in full Sunday or fond shade . Once established , in fact , you might fight to fully remove it !
Even the small piece of root forget behind will quickly become an conventional plant life .
develop comfrey from source can take some clock time . The seeds first call for to be stratified , or exposed to a full stop of cold temperatures , and then plant in warm soil . This process could take up to two month or long . For this reason , comfrey is most commonly propagated by root division .
As long as the plants will have sentence to get established before frost set in , you could implant your comfrey root any time of year , although spring and fall planting are urge . Plants will reach anywhere from 2 to 5 feet in height , and healthy plant can be light harvested from as betimes as their first year .
The blue - purple , Alexander Melville Bell - shaped flowers attract a variety of pollinator and predatory insects as well , which just another great cause to originate comfrey , the all - aim powerhouse herb of the garden !
