ExplorePlants

common comfrey

Symphytum officinale

Common comfrey is a leafy plant with beautiful purple flowers. It grows in gardens and fields and is loved by bees and butterflies for its sweet nectar.

Habitat: Urban areas, Gardens

Appearance

The common comfrey has large, dark green leaves covered in coarse hairs, giving them a rough, bristly feel. Its bell-shaped flowers, often purple, blue, or white, hang downwards in charming clusters.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderBoraginalesFamilyBoraginaceaeGenusSymphytum
common comfrey
deciduous trait badgeflowering trait badgebroadleaf_tree trait badgefragrant_flower trait badge
common comfrey

Category

Plants

Rarity

Common

Danger

2/5 · Low

Snaps

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Interesting facts

Ancient Romans called comfrey 'knitbone' because they used its leaves to help heal broken bones!

Comfrey is a super plant, pulling up minerals like calcium and potassium from deep in the ground!

Gardeners often grow comfrey as a 'green manure' plant to naturally fertilize their vegetable patches!

Its bell-shaped flowers are perfect for long-tongued bumblebees to reach their sweet nectar.

Special abilities

Ability

Deep Root Explorer

Common comfrey can send its roots incredibly deep to draw up water and nutrients from the soil that other plants can't reach.

Ability

Nature's Soil Builder

Common comfrey has lush foliage that, when it dies back, returns valuable minerals to the soil, enriching it for other plants.

Ability

Hairy Defender

Common comfrey has stiff hairs covering its leaves and stems, which can deter hungry insects from taking a bite.

Measurements & details

Height
30-120 cm
Spread
30-60 cm
Flower Size
1-2 cm
Bloom Season
Late spring to mid-summer
Edible
No
Toxicity
Moderate
Lifecycle
Perennial
Pollination Method
Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Visits flowers for nectar

pollinates

Western honey bee

Apis mellifera

Collects pollen and nectar

eats

Garden snail

Helix aspersa

Feeds on young leaves

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

2/5 · Low

Do not eat any part of the comfrey plant without asking an adult first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall is common comfrey?

30-120 cm

How wide does common comfrey spread?

30-60 cm

How big are the flowers on common comfrey?

1-2 cm

When does common comfrey bloom?

Late spring to mid-summer

Is common comfrey edible?

No

Is common comfrey toxic?

Moderate

What is common comfrey's lifecycle?

Perennial

How is common comfrey pollinated?

Insect

Snap Map

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