Common Names: Knitbone, Russian Comfrey, Boneset, Healing Herb, Slippery Root
Botanical Name: Symphytum officinale, S. uplandica
Plant Family: Boraginaceae, Borage Family
Parts Used: Leaves, Stalks, Flowers and Root
Actions: Tonic, Demulcent, Expectorant, Vulnerary, Astringent (Systems affected: Lungs, Stomach, Kidneys, Bone and Muscles)
Habitat: Comfrey is native to Europe. You can specifically find it growing in the wild in ditches or damp places. It was brought to the United States, or North America as a cultivated garden plant. Like its cousin Borage, you will find that comfrey can be quite unruly. A lot of folks consider comfrey a weed for its rapid and widespread growth patterns. Run over Comfrey with your lawn mower and watch how the plant responds to disturbance and spreads across your landscape. It’s prolific!
Identification: What we refer to as “Official Comfrey” is different than Russian Comfrey. Symphytum officinale has yellow flowers, whereas the Russian Comfrey, S. uplandica, has purple flowers. I don’t know about what you have seen growing, but I have only come across the purple flowered plant. Comfrey stands out. Growing up to 3 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide, you’ll notice comfrey on the side of the road, in meadows or growing in your garden. Like other plants in the Borage family, it has mucilaginous stalks that are “fuzzy” and fused bell or star-like petals. The bristly hairs make comfrey difficult to touch or harvest… like reaching for a ripe squash… The leaves are can grow up to 12 inches long and attached to winged leaf stalks (petioles) that emerge from the base of the plant. As the plants flowering stems emerge, smaller leaves grow in an alternate pattern without petioles. Rough hairs are found on both sides of the lance-shaped leaves.
**Common Comfrey can be mistaken for Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), especially when “wildcrafting”. A general rule is that Comfrey is not common on hiking trails and restoration sites, like our wild foxglove. Comfrey has rough, stiff hairs on all sides of its basal leaves and smooth edges. Whereas Foxglove has smooth hairs and serrated (knife-like) edges on its leaves. The flowers will truly set these two plants apart.**
Collection: I harvest the roots in the spring and autumn when the allantoin levels are highest. I will harvest the leaves, stems and flowers as the flowers begin to bloom in the summer (May-August). However, I mainly use the stems of this plant because they have the most mucilage.
This leaf was about 12 inches long. Notice that the edges of Comfrey leaf are smooth and it also has a deep, rich green color, unlike the hairy leaves of Mullein or Foxglove.
Comfrey Medicine:
Healing Agent - Tissue Mending
Comfrey leaves, stems and root contain allantoin (a cell proliferate that increases the healing of wounds). Allantoin augments wound-healing both inside and out. Comfrey contains about 6-8% allantoin (especially in the roots), hence, it has the reputation as a “Wound Healer”. Juliette de Bairacli Levy places Comfrey in the “Wonder Herb” category; meaning its good for almost every ill of mankind. Use this herb externally as a poultice, fomentation, salve or cream to help speed wound-healing, as well as guard against scar tissue developing incorrectly (Hoffman).
The soothing components of Comfrey help skin wounds, inflammation, swellings and sprains, rashes, ruptures, old and new sores, varicose veins, boils, burns, thorns and splinters. The list goes on… My mother has used a poultice on ingrown nails and another friend used a salve on her herpes outbreak. All of which began to heal the following day. The mucilaginous parts of Comfrey make it moisturizing, soothing and just outright comforting.
**Be careful when applying Comfrey to open wounds. Sometimes it helps tissues grow over a wound too rapidly, not allowing the wound to heal deeper down; causing an abscess.
I most commonly use Comfrey as a fresh poultice or in Julia’s Good Medicine’s Black Comfrey Poultice (a salve with fresh comfrey root!!!). It has worked on minor wounds, skin ulcers, broken bones, sprains, rheumatic complaints, healing from surgery or torn tissue from old injuries.
Comfrey Internally? {An ongoing debate}
Comfrey contains Pyrrolizidine alkaloid which is extremely damaging to the liver. The amounts of PA in a comfrey plant is quite variable. Some say there is more in the root than in the leaves, stems and flowers of this plant. Traditionally, herbalist have used Comfrey internally because of its high nutrients and healing abilities. Some herbalists only use the leaves internally, mainly avoiding ingesting the roots. There are no case studies on someone suffering from the toxic effects of Comfrey. As Rosalee de la Forêt states it “PAs could be called a ‘silent killer,’ since very few of their victims will recognize the cause of their liver diseases.” Please do not let this discourage you from working with Comfrey. I think it is important to note the risks when using comfrey leaves internally, and to also acknowledge that it is a rare risk. Check out Susan Weeds recommendation for Comfrey HERE.
“Comfrey Central – A Clearinghouse for Symphytum Information.” General Information about Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids. Accessed September 26, 2016. http://www.comfreycentral.com/research/pa.htm.
Gastrointestinal tract & Respiratory tract
Comfrey is a demulcent. It’s slimy and has a mucilaginous quality. Now, imagine that slime lubricating your digestive pathways or your throat during an irritable cough. It helps both gastric and duodenal ulcers. And it also helps bronchitis and dry, irritated lungs.
Hemorrhage & Bleeding
Comfrey’s astringency helps with hemorrhaging in various parts of the body. A strong root decoction stops bleeding. Or a tincture with the leaves can be used for internal bleeding of the lungs and digestive tract. A Comfrey standard infusion will help hiatus hernias, ulcerative colitis, and hemorrhoids.
Whether or not you feel comfortable taking Comfrey internally, I encourage you to pick a leaf or stem of comfrey and feel the mucilaginous qualities of this herb. You might just want to rub it all over a sunburn, like you would with Aloe Vera. Or you might be called to rub it onto your skin to reduce an old scar or help with inflammation. Give Comfrey a chance to make you comfy.
Check out my "Closed Wound" Poultice Method for directions on a Comfrey Poultice.
Photos by Rachael Witt
References:
Common Herbs for Natural Health by Juliette de Bairacli Levy
The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman
Herbal Medicine Fro the Heart of the Earth by Dr. Sharol Marie Tilgner
The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants by Mathew Woods
Planetary Herbology by Michael Tierra
Comfrey; Featured Herb by Rosalee de la Forêt