CLOSE

Henry Doubleday (1813-1902), a Quaker, brought Russian comfrey to England. He believed that comfrey would help prevent worldwide famine, so his last 30 years were spent in research. He could never prove this, however. Today comfrey is still an amazing herb. It is loaded with protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Comfrey is of the genus Symphytum, which is made up of some 25 species of herbs of the Boriginaceae group of plants that are native to Asia, Europe, Iran and Siberia and has since been naturalized in many parts of the world. It reaches 3-feet high with course, hairy leaves with tubular flowers in clusters of blue, purple, yellow, red, or white.

Approximately 200 AD, comfrey was mentioned in herbalism. In England the use of comfrey was a healing herb going back hundreds of years. It is believed the name came from an old English word “comfrie” and in some places it was known as boneset, owing to its widely recognized fame in mending fractures before the plaster of Paris.

Of all the herbs, comfrey has the most outstanding record of being considered a near “cure all” herb. Every part of this herb can be used to cure consumption, ulcers, wounds, and inflammation of many organs and all this with the mending of fractures, will give you an idea of how comfrey has become so famous. With time, as with other herbs, comfrey has been replaced by the use of modern-day medicine.

In 1960, American physician H. Kirshner wrote a book titled "Experience with Comfrey in Medicinal Practice."  Kirschner owned a farm in California and conducted a study of the healing powers of this herb. He grew his own crop, making use of the plant in his practice. There are some remarkable case histories noted of the use of comfrey in medical treatment.

In addition to the ability to knit bones together, comfrey claims a relief of asthma and arthritis, relieve skin irritations, ringworm, and athletes foot by using ointments that contain comfrey.

Comfrey grows best in part shade in dampish soils. It will also thrive in full sunshine with excellent soil that is well watered. Established plants self-sow and can be propagated by root division and cuttings. 

Seeds can be started in pots indoors in January for spring planting when soil temperatures rise. Barely cover seeds since they need light to germinate.  Cut the flowering stalks back for good leaf growth. Use these for plant mulch. The leaves also make an excellent fertilizer and provide a nutrient boost to compost mixes as well as being a compost activator. It is important to use only the leaves as any cut stems will take root. 

By steeping chopped comfrey you can make liquid fertilizer. Place something heavy to submerge the leaves until the liquid turns to a dark and thick substance. Dilute this liquid 12:1 to 15:1 before applying.

In the past you could eat the leaves as a vegetable, drink tea from the dried root and leaves. However, today it is recommended not to consume comfrey in any form by mouth because of liver damage caused by its pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

In 2001 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned comfrey products marketed for internal use. A warning label was included for products intended for external use only.  Do not use if pregnant and/or lactating. People with liver, kidney, or vascular diseases should avoid comfrey.

The comfrey root can reach up to 8 feet in length. If you move the plant but find it reappearing in the original spot it is because you left some of the root behind.

Some interesting facts about comfrey:

• Comfrey leaves were applied to injuries to stop heavy bleeding during the ancient Rome chariot races.

• Pedanius Dioscorides (a Greek physician) mentions comfrey: The roots below are black on the outside and white and slimy on the inside … finely ground and then drunk are beneficial for those spitting blood and those suffering from internal abscesses.  If used as a compress, it can seal fresh wounds.  They have a joining effect when cooked with pieces of flesh.  It will act as cataplasm in the case of inflammation.

• Army medics relied on comfrey to treat wounds from Alexander the Great to World War I.

• Native Americans considered comfrey a sacred healing plant and drank it as a tea as well as using it topically.

• Comfrey was used in cooking for feeding livestock. It was also used as food during the potato famine in Ireland during the 1840’s.

Note: Mark your calendar for our plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 1 at the Sandusky County fairgrounds.

Susan La Fountaine is a Master Gardener with the Extension Offices in Sandusky and Ottawa Counties.

Read or Share this story: https://ift.tt/3fOOlCB