Symphytum officinale

Botanical Name: Symphytum officinale
Family: Boraginaceae (Borage family)

What We're Growing:
We grow comfrey for its broad, fuzzy leaves and bell-shaped purple flowers. With deep taproots that pull minerals from the subsoil, comfrey is a cornerstone in our regenerative system — nourishing both soil and people.

How We Use It:
While comfrey is not eaten internally due to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, its leaves are harvested to make compost teas, mulch, and soil-building applications. Topically, comfrey is used in salves, poultices, and oils to support skin, joint, and bone health.

Why It’s Good for You:
Comfrey is traditionally known as “knitbone” for its ability to accelerate wound healing and support the repair of tissues, bones, and ligaments. Its leaves are rich in allantoin, a compound that stimulates cell regeneration and soothes inflammation when applied externally.

Herbalists have long used comfrey-infused oils and salves to ease bruises, sprains, and joint pain. It’s also rich in calcium, potassium, and phosphorus, which is why it makes such an effective plant-based fertilizer — nourishing the soil and the skin alike.

In the Garden:
Comfrey grows rapidly and regenerates vigorously after cutting. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and improves soil health with its dynamic roots. We cut it several times a season for mulch, compost tea, and salve-making. Its blooms also attract bees and beneficial insects.

Fun Fact:
Comfrey’s nickname, “knitbone,” comes from centuries of use in traditional medicine to support bone mending, often applied as a poultice over broken or bruised limbs to “knit” tissues back together.