Comfrey

This botanical powerhouse is a permaculture super plant. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) had been cultivated since at least 400, B.C. it is a fast-growing perennial, 2 to 3 feet tall with large hairy leaves and a long taproot that descends deep into the subsoil sometimes 6 to 10 feet deep.

This aggressive root acts like a deep earth miner, drawing up essential minerals, (especailly potassium and nitrogen) which are distributed throughout the palnt. The large laves contain a balance of major nutrients ( N P K) and can be used to feed your garden and orchard. Being excellent “dynamic accumulators”, the foilage is valuable as a compost activator and also works well as a “chop and drop” nutirtive mulch for fruit trees. berry bushes and heavy feeders like tomatoes, squash and potatoes.

Comfrey produces ample amounts of this foilage from late May until hard frost and can be cut 2 to 5 times per year dependin on how well plants are fed and watered. It grows rapidly after each harvest, making a renewable source of mulch and fertilizer. Utilizing the deep subsoil nutrients that are inaccessible to other plants, the leaf cuttings placed on the soil surface make these available to shallower rooted plants. Chopped leaves can be soaked in buckets of water for a few weeks to create “comfrey tea”, the pungent liquid fertilizer some refer to as “comfert”,. Symphytum needs full sun for good biomass production but grows fine in shade and is adaptable to many soil types, it prefers moist, fertile soil. it is drought tolerant once established but irrigation is needed if you want good yields.

Choose a site for your comfrey that can be its forevr home because it spreads vigorously by seed and by root and can be invasive and difficult to remove once planted. Comfrey is incredibly resilient, a tiny peice of root left in the ground can grow a whole new plant. When planted downhill from manure piles, composts, etc. it will capture leached nutrients (passive fertility) which would otherwise be lost. This robust plant grows in zones 3 - 9.

Clusters of tubular flowers range anywhere from purplish blue to white, yellow or red. Then dangling blooms have 5 stamens and their bell shape holds nectar, making them a favorite for bees. Flowering starts in late May early June and continues until frost. The fruit consist of shiny, brown, nutlets which appear in August.

Comfrey also hosts pest predators such as spiders, lacewings and parasitic wasps, so leave some plants unharvested to sustain these beneficial insects.

Used over the centuries there is a long tradition of medicinal use. Often called, “bone knit” comfrey is packed with allantoin which promotes rapid cell regeneration to accelerate healing. The Ancient Greeks and Romans revered it a medical marvel and applied poutices to broken bones and smashed ligaments. Comfrey is considered a sacred healing plant for native Americans who applied the mased roots and leaves a poultice to sprains, bruises and fractures. Long acknowledged as a soothing demulcent, the root contains a glutinous juice. A decoction of root makes a good gargle for throat inflammation, hoarseness and bleeding gums. Powdered root acts as hemostatic to stop bleeding. The root conains a steroidal saponins, giving it anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties. A oulitic eof bruised fresh leaves brings comfort to wounds, bruises, insect bites and sores.

Internal consumption is controversial as it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA’s) which can cause liver damage. External use is deemed safe when applied as poultices, creams or salves. Comfrey’s combination of healing compounds and soil enriching properties make it highly valued in permacultures and natural medicines.

In European folklore the large leaves were a symbol of stability, persistence and connection with earth. Fitting attributes for this gift to sustainable gardening that’ll let you take comfort in knowing that the stinky “comfert” will help you grow an amazing garden.