Specimen Spotlight: Comfrey

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

Comfrey - Full Size Photo

Toby Hemenway calls comfrey “a quintessential permaculture plant” (Gaia's Garden, p. 127). I have compiled a list of why comfrey should be a resident of your permacultured yard.

• Blossoms provide pollen and nectar that is enjoyed by bees and other beneficial insects, not to mention adding beauty to their surroundings (Gaia's Garden, p. 127) (Sepp Holzer's Permaculture, p. 60).
• Used medicinally to heal bone injuries and other wounds. Along with healing scrapes and cuts, it will moisturize the skin (Gaia's Garden, p. 127). Noted herbalist Jethro Kloss indicates that a poultice of fresh comfrey leaves is “excellent for ...fresh wounds, ...burns, bruises, gangrenous sores, insect bites, and pimples” (Back to Eden, p. 121). Disclaimer: I legally cannot advocate any medical treatment because I am not a doctor, so you cannot hold me responsible for how you decide to use this information. :-)
• Superb nutrient accumulator, pulling potassium, calcium, and magnesium into its roots and leaves (Gaia's Garden, p. 127). When soil tests indicate a potash deficiency, comfrey is the recommended solution since it will amend the soil naturally (The Ultimate Guide to Permaculture, p. 108).
• Excellent mulch maker. Its soft leaves and stems can be slashed down multiple times a season (Gaia's Garden, p. 127).
• Has fat tap roots that can break up hard pan and heavy clay. Some root die back happens when the top growth is chopped, leaving organic matter in the soil to decompose and feed the microorganisms in the soil (Gaia's Garden, p. 127).
• High carbon-to-nitrogen ration, making it a great addition to the compost pile (Carrots Love Tomatoes, p. 36).
• Comfortable with a high nitrogen soil, such as a manure pile, so no worries about it being “burned” as other plants might be with high nitrogen concentrations (The Ultimate Guide to Permaculture, p. 263).
• Almost impossible to totally remove once it has been established and quite easy to spread (The Ultimate Guide to Permaculture, p. 263) (Gaia's Garden, p. 128). This is both a pro and a con: it is easy to get started and maintain, but be certain that you really do want the plant before introducing it to your yard or garden. Personally, I don't think that I could ever manage to have too much comfrey in my yard.

References

• Gaia's Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway
• Back To Eden by Jethro Kloss
• Sepp Holzer's Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening by Sepp Holzer
• Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening by Louise Riotte
• The Ultimate Guide to Permaculture by Nicole Faires