Comfrey – Symphytum officinale
(In Irish – meacan compair / lus na gcnámh briste)
A little knowledge goes a long way!
Comfrey
Symphytum known by the common name comfrey comes from the Latin word confervere meaning to ‘heal’ / ‘boil together’ / ‘grow together’ and refers to its uses in ancient traditional medicine. The tradition that comfrey had in different cultures suggests a belief in its usefulness for mending bones.
How to identify comfrey
There are many different types of comfrey but in general, it is a hairy green plant with broad spear-shaped leaves and clusters of purple, white or pink bell-shaped flowers. It’s usually in flower during April and May. It belongs to the Borage family.
Where to find Comfrey
Comfrey can be found in ditches, hedgerows and damp places.
Lookalikes
Whatever you do, do NOT confuse this plant with the deadly Foxglove or that will be the end of you! The flowers of the foxglove are tubular and stand on a tall spike. They vary in colour with species, from purple to pink, white, and yellow. However, the best-known species is the common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea.
Foxglove – Digitalis
Digitalis intoxication results from an overdose of digitalis and can cause cardiac, neurological and gastrointestinal effects. The entire plant is toxic.
How to cook/eat Comfrey
The root itself is edible raw or cooked and Darina Allen in her Forgotten Skills of Cooking book has a lovely recipe using the leaves, if you’re willing to try comfrey fritters. However, a word of warning, no one should eat too much comfrey as it can cause liver toxicity.
(Image via WikimediaCommons/Trish Steel)
Health Benefits
This great plant also has medicinal purposes and was historically used to treat ailments such as sprains, arthritis, gastric and varicose ulcers and acne.
A word of caution: Comfrey is well-known for its health benefits but it also poses some risks as it contains compounds that can harm your liver. Like all edible things, it’s best that you don’t overdo it on the comfrey. Moderation is key. And always consult your doctor if you’re unsure. Comfrey is mostly used by modern herbalists as a topical solution these days.
Other uses
If you’re a keen gardener, comfrey can be your best friend, as it’s an excellent fertiliser when it’s mulched down and perfect for organic growth.
To make this fertiliser, you need to seep the leaves into a deep barrel or container. A five-gallon drum filled with water along with the comfrey leaves is perfect and you can even add nettles to boost the power of their amazing homemade fertiliser. It will take about 2 weeks for this sloshy mixture to be ready to rock and roll. Oh, by the way, it’s best covered because it STINKS!!
When it’s read you want to strain the leaves and discard them. From this point, you can bottle up your fertiliser and when you want to use it, dilute 10 parts water to one part of the mix. Your plants are going to love you.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified comfrey, you can submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre here.
(Lead image via WikimediaCommons/BernardDUPONT. This post contains an affiliate link to a book I recommend at no extra cost to you!)
Where can I releably find Comfrey – Symphytum officinale. I leave in Ennis Co. Clare and I have failed to come across it. I can indentify it without any doubt. I sed to grow it in my home country. I am specicically looking for the Blue-purple flowed one. I am a botanist and a herbalist
Hi Claire! Great question and to be quite honest it can be hard to find if you don’t know where to look. For me, I was lucky in that I know an organic farmer who was able to give me a plant. Perhaps there is an organic grower / farmer near you that you could ask or a plant nursery?