Comfrey and Man go back a long way. Its use in the treatment of fractures and wounds, and its incredible nutritive properties were well known to our ancestors, and earned it a multitude of vernacular names such as knitbone, knit-bonnet, Symphytum (Greek, meaning “bring together”), Norwegians and Bretons call(ed) it Trench or Battlefield weed; and the list goes on. This would account for the rapid spread of comfrey into Europe along the major routes from Asia Minor about 2000 years ago.
Today, we can attribute the healing properties of comfrey to a Image substance called allantoin, found in the leaves and roots, as well as in commercially available creams such as Savalon for cuts and burns. Allantoin promotes cell division and so speeds up the natural healing process of our bodies. It also accelerates cell division in plants, speeding up germination and root and stem development.
Comfrey is very deep-rooting enabling it to concentrate in the leaves a whole host of nutrients which are often “out of reach” for other plants:  trace-elements include B, Fe, Cl, Ca, Mg, I, Na, Mn, Cu, there are proteins, vitamins (including A, B, K, PP and B12), minerals, natural hormone-like substances and all the macro-elements; potassium being especially abundant and explains the remarkable effect of comfrey on flowering and fruiting. Its beautiful bell-shaped flowers also attract a spectacular array of butterflies, bees, bumbles and beneficial wasps to the garden. Little wonder, then, that this amazing plant has been prized by generations of gardeners and earned it yet another name: the “Treasure of the Garden”.
No garden should be without comfrey, and if you are having difficulty finding a non-invasive, hybrid variety, then check our “products page” for the availability of Bocking 14 root-stock.