# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Urban areas, Gardens ![common comfrey](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Symphytum_officinale_01.jpg&width=800) Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień ( Nova ), CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Symphytum_officinale_01.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Boraginales - **Family:** Boraginaceae - **Genus:** Symphytum ## 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 - **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. - **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. - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Feeds on young leaves ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not eat any part of the comfrey plant without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common comfrey? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### 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 ## Where to spot - [Morris Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/morris-arboretum) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Parc linéaire de la rivière Saint-Charles](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/parc-lin-aire-de-la-rivi-re-saint-charles) — Québec, CA · Park - [Shenipsit Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shenipsit-trail) — Connecticut, US · Trail - [Matthaei Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/matthaei-botanical-gardens) — Michigan, US · Botanical Garden - [McKinley Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mckinley-park) — Wisconsin, US · Park [View all places to see common comfrey](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-comfrey) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Comfrey: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-comfrey)