{"id":290,"date":"2022-09-08T12:51:01","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T12:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/?post_type=product&p=290"},"modified":"2025-08-04T10:14:36","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T10:14:36","slug":"comfrey","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/product\/comfrey\/","title":{"rendered":"Comfrey"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Botanical Name:<\/strong>\u00a0symphytum officinale<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some other names:<\/strong>\u00a0Knitbone, Boneset, Woundwort, Bruisewort<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to Grow It<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Comfrey is a hardy perennial herb<\/b> that grows into a dense clump up to 60\u2013120\u202fcm tall, with broad, hairy leaves and purple, pink, or blue bell\u2011like flowers. Once you plant it, it\u2019s there for good \u2013 which is why it pays to think carefully about where you want it.<\/p>\r\n

Native to Europe and Asia<\/b>, comfrey thrives in cool to temperate climates<\/b> but will also grow in subtropical areas. It tolerates almost anything: drought, poor soil, full sun, partial shade<\/b>, even patches where nothing else wants to grow.<\/p>\r\n

Comfrey\u2019s deep taproots<\/b> mine water and minerals from far below the surface, making it a self\u2011feeding plant. I\u2019ve never really fertilised mine (aside from the occasional seaweed spray) and it still grows like mad.<\/p>\r\n

Propagation couldn\u2019t be easier: break off a root, cut it into 2\u202fcm pieces, and plant them sideways \u2013 almost every piece will strike. A single plant will easily give rise to dozens more.<\/p>\r\n

Comfrey grows happily in pots<\/b>, though it stays smaller and less productive than in open ground.

<\/p>\r\n

Herbal & Nutrient Value<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Comfrey is a nutrient powerhouse<\/b>. The leaves are loaded with vitamins A, B, C & E<\/b>, plus potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium<\/b>, and a range of trace minerals. These nutrients don\u2019t just make it valuable in the garden \u2013 they\u2019re also the reason it\u2019s been used for centuries as a healing herb.<\/p>\r\n

Historically, comfrey was used internally for everything from arthritis and asthma to digestive issues and even cancer<\/b>, and externally for broken bones, bruises, sprains, and wounds<\/b> (earning it the name \u201cknitbone\u201d).<\/p>\r\n

Modern science has since discovered that comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids<\/b> (PAs), which can damage the liver in high doses. Because of this, it\u2019s now banned for internal use in many countries.<\/p>\r\n

That said, there\u2019s little evidence of harm from traditional use, and many gardeners (myself included) still swear by external use<\/b>: poultices, salves, and creams made from comfrey can dramatically speed up wound healing, ease pain, and calm rashes. I\u2019m comfortable eating a couple of leaves a day in my smoothie for general healing benefits.<\/p>\r\n

Traditional & Home Remedies<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Comfrey Poultice<\/strong> \u2013 Fresh leaves bruised or blended, applied to sprains or bruises.
Comfrey Salve<\/strong> \u2013 Leaves or roots infused in oil, thickened with beeswax for topical ointment.
Comfrey Compress<\/strong> \u2013 Cloth soaked in strong comfrey tea, wrapped around swollen joints.
Comfrey Root Paste<\/strong> \u2013 Root mashed with warm water, applied to fractures (folk remedy).

<\/p>\r\n

Using It in the Kitchen<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Comfrey is banned for internal use in many countries, and I can\u2019t recommend eating it \u2013 but you can research the history<\/b> and make up your own mind.<\/p>\r\n

Traditionally, young leaves were occasionally used as a cooked green or added to soups, but it\u2019s certainly not one of the tastiest greens<\/p>\r\n

Instead, think of comfrey as a plant for your garden and medicine chest<\/b> rather than your dinner plate.

<\/p>\r\n

Other Uses<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Comfrey\u2019s usefulness doesn\u2019t stop at medicine. In fact, even if you never use it on your skin, it might still be the most valuable plant in your garden.<\/p>\r\n

Its deep roots pull up nutrients other plants can\u2019t reach<\/b>, and the huge leaves can be chopped again and again for mulch<\/b>\u2013 rich in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus<\/b>. You can soak the leaves in water for a week to make a potent liquid fertiliser<\/b>, or add them to the compost heap as an activator<\/b> to speed things up.<\/p>\r\n

Comfrey is also excellent animal fodder<\/b> \u2013 chooks, goats, and other livestock love it, and those nutrients end up in their eggs, milk, or manure.<\/p>\r\n


Why it’s a survival plant:<\/h3>\r\n

Unkillable, multi\u2011purpose, and endlessly productive<\/b>. It feeds the garden, feeds the animals, and has been healing people for centuries \u2013 all from one tough little clump.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Comfrey is one of the toughest and most useful plants you can grow. It\u2019s virtually unkillable, mines nutrients from deep underground, and has been treasured for centuries as a powerful medicinal herb and one of the best natural fertilisers for the garden.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":91,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[38,39,40,48,41,42,44],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-290","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-cooler-climate-plants","7":"product_cat-drought-resistant-plants","8":"product_cat-high-nutrition-plants","9":"product_cat-medicinal-plants","10":"product_cat-mulch-plants","11":"product_cat-pot-and-container-plants","12":"product_cat-shade-loving-plants","14":"first","15":"instock","16":"shipping-taxable","17":"product-type-simple"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=290"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=290"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}