Russian Comfrey
(Symphytum x uplandicum)
An herbaceous perennial flowering to 3 feet, Comfrey is probably one of the most useful and beneficial plants you can grow! It produces gorgeous, large, fuzzy green leaves that continue to erupt all season from the root crown, and gentle nodding purple flowers that provide nectar adored by bees.
Russian comfrey is a naturally occurring (not GMO) hybrid of Russian Symphytum asperum and European Symphytum officinalis. This cross renders the plant sterile which is a good thing because it would otherwise spread rapidly out of control! It is however easy to propagate as it readily grows from root divisions. In fact, it grows so readily from root divisions that it is not recommended to run your rototiller over these plants as you will likely create quite a colony!
Comfrey Uses:
Medicinal Use — Comfrey has been cultivated, at least, since 400 BC as a healing herb. The Greeks and Romans commonly used Comfrey to stop heavy bleeding, treat bronchial problems and heal wounds and broken bones. Poultices were made for external wounds and tea was consumed for internal ailments. Comfrey has been reported to promote healthy skin with its mucilage content that moisturizes and soothes and promotes cell proliferation. Incredibly effective at stopping the bleeding, reducing the pain and healing of wounds.
Biomass — Comfrey produces large amounts of foliage from late May until hard frosts in October or November. The plant is excellent for producing mulch and can be cut from 2–5 times per year depending on how well the plants are watered and fed. The plant grows rapidly after each harvest.
Locate Comfrey next to each of your fruit trees or near your garden in order to have a renewable source of mulch just where you need it.
Mineral Miner— Comfrey has deep roots of up to 6 feet that utilize nutrients deep in the subsoil that would otherwise wash away with the underground soil water or remain inaccessible to other plants. The nutrients — once taken up from the roots — are relocated throughout the plant as and where needed with some of them ending up in the Comfrey leaf mass. When cutting the leaf mass and applying to the soil surface the mined nutrients are returned and again made accessible to shallower rooted crop plants.
Biodiversity — The bell shaped flowers provide nectar and pollen to many species of bees and other insects from late May until the first frosts in late Autumn. Lacewings are said to lay eggs on Comfrey and Spiders overwinter on the plant. Parasitoid Wasps and Spiders will hunt on and around Comfrey.
Ground Cover — With it's large leaves and dense growth, comfrey will help halt the advance of unwanted weeds.
Fertilizer — Comfrey leaves contain a great balance of major plant nutrients (N,P,K) with about 17% nitrogen (horse manure=14%) and 2 to 3 times more Potash than good barnyard manure (much more than most other compost). Feed to other plants as powder, direct mulch or by steeping chopped Comfrey leaves in water for several weeks to produce a thick, dark liquid that can be diluted with water and applied to plant roots.
Animal Fodder — Comfrey has a long history for use as a protein-rich (22-33% protein), nutrient dense feed which increases health. High in vitamin A, C and B-12. Rich in silicon, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, iodine and more. Has been used for pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, cattle, rabbits, horses and more. Some species of animals prefer the leaves fresh while others prefer them wilted.
How to care for comfrey plants: Keep the planting reasonably well watered. It works very nicely to mulch the plant with straw, other high-carbon mulch, or even its own leaves, cut from the plant and laid back down around the crown. This is the standard way to take care of comfrey–when it finishes flowering and starts to keel over, cut it down and use the leaves for any of the multitude of applications comfrey leaves are good for, or simply lay the leaves back down on the crown of the plant and let it grow back through its own mulch.
Russian comfrey is a naturally occurring (not GMO) hybrid of Russian Symphytum asperum and European Symphytum officinalis. This cross renders the plant sterile which is a good thing because it would otherwise spread rapidly out of control! It is however easy to propagate as it readily grows from root divisions. In fact, it grows so readily from root divisions that it is not recommended to run your rototiller over these plants as you will likely create quite a colony!
Comfrey Uses:
Medicinal Use — Comfrey has been cultivated, at least, since 400 BC as a healing herb. The Greeks and Romans commonly used Comfrey to stop heavy bleeding, treat bronchial problems and heal wounds and broken bones. Poultices were made for external wounds and tea was consumed for internal ailments. Comfrey has been reported to promote healthy skin with its mucilage content that moisturizes and soothes and promotes cell proliferation. Incredibly effective at stopping the bleeding, reducing the pain and healing of wounds.
Biomass — Comfrey produces large amounts of foliage from late May until hard frosts in October or November. The plant is excellent for producing mulch and can be cut from 2–5 times per year depending on how well the plants are watered and fed. The plant grows rapidly after each harvest.
Locate Comfrey next to each of your fruit trees or near your garden in order to have a renewable source of mulch just where you need it.
Mineral Miner— Comfrey has deep roots of up to 6 feet that utilize nutrients deep in the subsoil that would otherwise wash away with the underground soil water or remain inaccessible to other plants. The nutrients — once taken up from the roots — are relocated throughout the plant as and where needed with some of them ending up in the Comfrey leaf mass. When cutting the leaf mass and applying to the soil surface the mined nutrients are returned and again made accessible to shallower rooted crop plants.
Biodiversity — The bell shaped flowers provide nectar and pollen to many species of bees and other insects from late May until the first frosts in late Autumn. Lacewings are said to lay eggs on Comfrey and Spiders overwinter on the plant. Parasitoid Wasps and Spiders will hunt on and around Comfrey.
Ground Cover — With it's large leaves and dense growth, comfrey will help halt the advance of unwanted weeds.
Fertilizer — Comfrey leaves contain a great balance of major plant nutrients (N,P,K) with about 17% nitrogen (horse manure=14%) and 2 to 3 times more Potash than good barnyard manure (much more than most other compost). Feed to other plants as powder, direct mulch or by steeping chopped Comfrey leaves in water for several weeks to produce a thick, dark liquid that can be diluted with water and applied to plant roots.
Animal Fodder — Comfrey has a long history for use as a protein-rich (22-33% protein), nutrient dense feed which increases health. High in vitamin A, C and B-12. Rich in silicon, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, iodine and more. Has been used for pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, cattle, rabbits, horses and more. Some species of animals prefer the leaves fresh while others prefer them wilted.
How to care for comfrey plants: Keep the planting reasonably well watered. It works very nicely to mulch the plant with straw, other high-carbon mulch, or even its own leaves, cut from the plant and laid back down around the crown. This is the standard way to take care of comfrey–when it finishes flowering and starts to keel over, cut it down and use the leaves for any of the multitude of applications comfrey leaves are good for, or simply lay the leaves back down on the crown of the plant and let it grow back through its own mulch.
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Axminster Gold: A plant of real distinction with large leaves boldly edged in vibrant yellow. Robust to 3 ft. in flower, it will enliven any area where it grows. Though not specifically selected for it's nutrient qualities, this variety of Russian Comfrey will have many of the same benefits.
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Blocking 4: This cultivar was selected for it's highly palatable leaves and it's especially deep and drought resistant roots (mining to 8-10 feet deep). Due to this it is more frequently used as animal fodder. Most animals like all comfrey, but it is said that chickens and rabbits may be picky about some varieties. These picky eaters, however, usually relish Blocking 4.
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