Table of Contents
Where can I get comfrey?
Common comfrey is a hairy plant of damp ground and is found beside rivers, in fens and ditches, and on roadside verges and waste ground. It often grows in clumps and displays clusters of bell-shaped, pinky-purple flowers from May to July.
Is comfrey illegal in the US?
Comfrey is no longer sold in the U.S., except in creams or ointments. The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany also have banned the sale of oral products containing comfrey. The dangerous substances in comfrey are also absorbed through the skin, so harmful amounts may build up in the body.
Where is comfrey root found?
Overview. Comfrey is a shrub that grows in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. It can grow up to 5 feet tall.
Can you buy comfrey?
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What is comfrey good for in the garden?
Use as a mulch. Chop up comfrey leaves with grass cuttings, and place a 5cm layer on the surface of the soil around all plants. This will slowly rot down to provide nutrients, and act as a mulch to keep in moisture and help control weeds. As they break down, the plant roots will access the potassium-rich fertiliser.
What can I use comfrey for?
Comfrey is used as a tea for upset stomach, ulcers, heavy menstrual periods, diarrhea, bloody urine, persistent cough, painful breathing (pleuritis), bronchitis, cancer, and chest pain (angina). It is also used as a gargle for gum disease and sore throat.
Is comfrey safe externally?
Comfrey is perfectly safe to use externally and is a first choice remedy for fractures and slow healing wounds.
Why is comfrey illegal?
The pyrrolizidine alkaloids in comfrey can cause severe liver damage, liver cancer, mutagenicity, and even death. [8,9] For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of oral comfrey products in the United States.
Can I drink comfrey tea?
While you can make comfrey tea at home, health experts do not advise that you drink the tea. 2 For that reason, some fans of the herbal treatment make comfrey tea, allow it to cool, and apply it topically to the skin or to areas of the body where aches and pains are present.
How do you make comfrey root?
Place the dehydrated comfrey root in a glass pint jar, cover with olive oil and tightly cap. Set that jar in your crock pot, and add water to the crock pot (at least half full). Place the lid on the crock pot and set the pot on low for 5 hour periods over the course of 2-3 days.
Is comfrey toxic to dogs?
But be warned, dogs should not eat or lick it, as it can be toxic to them and will cause gastrointestinal problems if ingested in large amounts. Although comfrey also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, primarily on the root, which cause liver problems when ingested in large quantities.
What is the difference between borage and comfrey?
Borage flowers are always blue while comfrey flowers bloom in white, pink and purple. The flowers have different shapes, as well, with comfrey flowers shaped like bells and borage flowers like stars. Borage also tends to be a bit more gangly than comfrey, which grows in tighter clumps.
What is the difference between common comfrey and Russian comfrey?
Common comfrey (S. officinale) has long been cultivated primarily as a medicinal herb, while prickly comfrey from the Caucuses (S. asperum) is grown mainly as an ornamental. Russian comfrey, which is a hybrid between common and prickly comfrey, comes in many variations and grows mainly independently.
When should I start comfrey indoors?
Comfrey can be planted any time when the soil is not frozen, and seedlings are not facing immediate danger of frost. Planting is preferable in the Spring or Fall seasons.
Is comfrey good for tomatoes?
Comfrey has very deep roots, which means it extracts large quantities of nutrients from far below the soil’s surface, inaccessible to other plants. It’s especially rich in potassium, making it the ideal feed to promote flowers and fruits in a range of plants, including tomatoes.
How do I use comfrey in my garden?
To use on established plants, dilute 1 part comfrey fertilizer in 15 parts water. Use to water and to spray on your plants as a foliar feed. When feeding young plants whose roots could be damaged by strong fertilizer, you may want to dilute it further.
What animal eats comfrey?
You wouldn’t think animals would not like to eat comfrey because of the tiny hairs on comfrey leaves, but sheep, pigs and chickens don’t mind. Even rabbits and cattle will eat comfrey when it’s wilted or dried as hay, according to the University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station.
Is comfrey good for potatoes?
On potatoes Comfrey has an almost perfect ratio of nitrogen, potash and phosphorous. In comparison with farmyard manure, Hills shows it has more nitrogen, twice as much potash, but less phosphorous. It is an ideal potato and tomato food.
How do you use comfrey root?
Dosing For back pain: About 4 grams of a specific ointment containing 35% comfrey root extract has been applied three times daily for 5 days. For osteoarthritis: About 2 grams of a specific ointment containing 35% comfrey root extract has been applied to the knee three times daily for 3 weeks.
Is comfrey good for compost?
Comfrey out-performs manure, compost and many liquid feeds for concentration of nutrients. It produces these from a deep root system extending right into the subsoil that most edible plants cannot access. It also has an ideal Carbon:Nitrogen ratio which means that it does not hamper absorption of nitrogen by plants.
