Comfrey: Symphytum officinale
Plant Family: Boraginaceae
Habitat & Ecological role:
Comfrey is a wonderful plant for helping build depleted soils, and is often utilized in permaculture in this way. Comfrey makes an impressive amount of large leaves that are rich in minerals, creating a nice healthy layer of topsoil over time. Comfrey is a vigorous perennial with a strong tap root as well, similar to burdock it breaks up compaction.
Herbal Actions: Anti-inflammatory, vulnerary, astringent, expectorant, demulcent
Parts used: Leaves (primarily), roots are also strongly vulnerary.
Leaves are preferred. Poultices can be applied with a heating pad or hot water bottle to promote movement of comfrey to deeper parts of the body, Water extracts can be incorporated into lotions, infused oil can be
incorporated into salves.
Season: Late spring through summer.
Taste: Astringent.
Energetic Qualities: Heavy, dense, solid, cold, clear.
Indications: Sprains, inflammation, bruises, mid-late stage wound healing, hemorrhoids, varicose veins.
Safety: Comfrey contains small amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) which, when taken INTERNALLY over long periods of time or in those with liver issues can lead to enlargement of liver cells, destruction of areas of the liver, fatty degeneration, and function loss in liver cells. High-dose long term exposure has case reports of veno-occlusive liver disease. External applications of comfrey do not carry these risks.
Comfrey is an amazing vulnerary, quickly regenerating epithelial cells. However, for open wounds this means that the superficial layer of the wound (skin's surface) can heal over prior to deeper wound closure. This can lead to an abscess, and so we avoid putting comfrey on an open wound (unless it is very small and we aren't worried about this.
Body system affinities: Integumentary.
Key Points: Comfrey is an amazing healer of wounds, superficially and deep.
Experience:
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