Common Name: Comfrey
Latin Name: Symphytum officinale
Actions: Vulnerary, demulcent, anti-inflammatory
Constituents: Mucilage, saponins, tannins, inulin, proteins, & pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Historical Use
Ah, Symphytum officinale… whenever you see “officinale” or “officinalis” at the end of a plant’s latin name, it means that it was at one time sold in apothecary shops and officially used by physicians in the treatment of their patients. Comfrey has been historically used to treat fractures and to heal wounds and while the leaves have been used as a tea for the treatment of stomach ulcers, internal use of comfrey has been the subject of much debate in the medical community.
A few years back, it was discovered that both the leaf and root of comfrey contain some toxic components known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can be toxic to the liver. Some herbalists have accepted this as fact and some have not, citing that the way the study was conducted was totally irrational and inconsistent with real world internal dosages of comfrey. An article on the pyrrolizidine alkaloids in comfrey is coming soon to Sustainable Living Today, so stay tuned.
How To Grow Comfrey
The more appropriate statement would probably be “how NOT to grow comfrey” simply due to the fact that comfrey grows very vigorously; wherever you plant it, be sure that you want it there permanently because even a small piece of root left behind in the soil will sprout another plant. The root system is extensive and the leaves can often weigh up to 4 or 5 pounds when the plant is fully mature.
When growing comfrey, you want to plant it in full sun if at all possible, even though the plant will tolerate some shade. It will also benefit from plenty of well rotted compost added to the soil to get it started well.
When planting comfrey, do so at least 3 feet apart to give the plant room for its leaves to spread out. Whatever you do, avoid attempting to plant comfrey in pots due to the very long taproot that it grows; it will attempt to go through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot to search for the real ground.
Growing for Compost
Be careful when you purchase comfrey plants online and make sure you are getting the Bocking 14 cultivar, Symphytum x uplandicum; this cultivar is sterile (will not produce viable seeds) and was developed in the 1950′s because it is more manageable than the original plant. Farmers have grown comfrey for composting for years due to the amount of nutrients it adds back into the soil and a comfrey that doesn’t produce seeds prevents the plant from becoming an invasive weed on the farmer’s property.
Growing for Medicinal Uses
When growing comfrey for medicinal uses, you may still want the Bocking 14 cultivar unless you’re a purist and would rather the plant that produces viable seeds. Just make sure you have an area designated to let the comfrey reproduce freely (i.e. not the garden where you plant your other herbs) because it can become an invasive weed fairly quickly. It depends on your personal preference.
How To Get Rid Of Comfrey
Remember when I said “how not to grow comfrey” was a better statement? Comfrey has a deep root system and it can be difficult to get rid of, since the allantoin cell proliferant that the plant contains not only promotes increased rate of cell growth in humans and animals, but it also speeds up the growth of itself. Root fragments left in the soil can grow back quickly, so the best way to get rid of these is to pull up the plant during hot, dry weather so any root pieces that remain will die due to lack of moisture.
Comfrey Cautions
Taking comfrey internally is controversial and should be well researched by anyone considering drinking it in a tea or by taking capsules.
Avoid comfrey use completely if you have liver damage or are pregnant or nursing.
If you use comfrey to assist in the healing of wounds, be sure that the wound remains free of infection because comfrey can cause wounds to knit back together so quickly that infection can be trapped inside. This can lead to medical emergency, so avoid using comfrey on infected wounds.
