Plant Study
Comfrey
DISCLAIMER: Much ofthis research comes from books and websites listed at the end of this page. My direct contact with this plant is largely through use of comfrey salve, which works like a charm on all kinds of surface cuts and scrapes, and is just good for the skin in general, and I have use chomped-on leaves to relieve some nasty cuts I got while yanking ivy out of the ground. Roots roasted and mixed with Dandelion and Burdock roots (also roasted) make an excellent coffee substitute: delicious, hearty, and good for you, too.
Comfrey is a healing herb from the Borage family. It has slightly prickly hairs on its leaves and stems, and lovely little bell shaped drop flowers. Comfrey hs been known as Boneset due to its ability to help heal fractures when used in a compress over a damaged site. It has wonderful healing properties when used as a salve, poulitce or oil, especially on surface cuts and scrapes. If you get a cut and can find some comfrey, chew up the leaf and apply it for awhile. The bleeding will stop and the cut will begin to heal. Comfrey helps to keep scars from forming, and is good for skin in general. One should only ingest comfrey, as a tea made from the leaves, and/or roots, with caution, as it is very potent. But it has mucilaginous properties that help with lung ailments, is good for the bones and is nutritive to the nervous system. It grows prolifically and reseeds itself. In spring the leaves can be lightly sauteed along with other greens. Comfrey is a mother herb.
Family Name: Borage
Family Name: Boraginaceae
Latin Name: Symphyum officinale
Common Names: Comon Comfrey, Ass Ear, Boneset, Knitbone
Native American Names: n/a
Related Species: Myosotis ramosissima/secunda (early/creeping forget-me-nots); Borago officinalis (Borage)
Body System Affiliations: Respiratory; Digestive; Circulatory; Nervous
Botanical Description:
Habit: Robust, perennial herb
Size: Clumps 3-4 feet tall
Leaves: Large, ovate, wrinkly with rough hairs, up to 10 inches long, “decurrent”
Flowers: Bell-shaped, purple-blue to pink, occasionally white, late May early June
Fruit: Glossy black nutlets
Stem: Hairy 2-3 feet high, hollow
Underground Parts: Branched rootstock, fibrous and fleshy, taproot, up to
10’.
Ecology:
Habitat: Full sun to partial shade, moist, nitrogen rich soil.
Range: Native of Europe, brought to America, grows across the continent.
Native Where: Banks of rivers and ditches, watery areas; open sites; abandoned
gardens.
Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:
Food: Spring leaves can be lightly steamed, or fried.
Medicine:
Part Used: Roots and Leaves
Medicinal Actions: Nutritive tonic; Demulcent; Expectorant; Emollient; Vulnerary;
Astringent; Hemostatic
Indications: Cough; lung infections; coughing blood; lung hemorrhage; gastrointestinal
ulcers; blood in urine; diarrhea; dysentery; sprains; fractures; wounds;
sores; boils
Body System Associations: Respiratory; Digestive; Circulatory; Nervous
Constituents: Source of calcium, vitamins A, C trace minerals, and B12;
allantoin
Applications: Decoction; Infusion; Poultice; Salve; Tincture.
Preparation: Decoction: ½-1 oz. root brought to boil in water or
milk, simmered 15-20 minutes; Infusion: 1 oz. leaves steeped in 1 pint boiled
water;
Other:
Cautions: Internal use has been recently associated with liver problems,
but no evidence has been proven in humans yet.
Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships:
(ayurvedic system, from The Yoga of Herbs, see below)
Energetics: Sweet, astringent, cooling
Tissues: Plasma, blood, muscle, bone, marrow and nerve
Precautions: Edema, malabsorption, obesity, high Ama
Root is nutritive and rejuvinative toic to lungs and mucous membranes.
Propagation:
Technique: Root cuttings; crown divisions; transplants
Timing: Early spring, late summer
Harvest:
Plant Part: Leaves, roots
Season of Harvest: Early summer for leaves, fall for roots
Method of Harvest:
Ecological Considerations of Harvest: n/a (considered a weed, and grows
like crazy, so…)
Cultural Considerations of Harvest: n/a
Cautions: Prickly hairs can irritate skin
Other uses: wilted leaves are good for animal feed, and wonderful for compost.
Personal Experience:
Medicine:
Part Used: Root: roasted, in decoction with roasted dandelion and roasted
burdock roots.
Desired Medicinal Actions: Cleanse system, nourish bones and skin, be kind
to my lungs
Targeted Indications: Messed up bones, from years of neglect and coffee
Procurement:
Source: Radiance, Oly, WA
Condition Dried
Cost $1.44 per ounce
Applications Decoction
Preparation Roasted the roots, mixed with other roots, brought to a boil
in cold water, simmered 20 minutes, usually left to cool off overnight.
Pharmacy Ingesting about 8 oz. per day, or every few days.
Reason/Purpose To generally be nicer to my bones and liver.
Experience: Delicious beverage, especially with a bit of soy milk
Cautions based on experience: None so far
Personal Experience:
Medicine:Burt’s Bees Res-Q- Ointment, formerly known
as Wise Woman Salve, loaded with comfrey
Part Used: Unknown
Desired Medicinal Actions: Heal cuts and abraisions
Targeted Indications: Shallow open wounds
Experience: I have used this and other comfrey salves for nicks and cuts, for chapped lips, and for general facial moisturizer. All nicks and cuts have healed amazingly fast, and completely without scaring. I believe a few times I would have otherwise have had scars. I also love the way it smells.
Procurement:
Source: Bayview Thriftway (and stores all across the country) Oly, WA
Condition Salve pre-pared
Cost @$5.00 per container
Applications: Topical
Pharmacy: As needed
Reason/Purpose: To help heal skin afflictions.
Experience: Works like a charm.
Cautions based on experience: Thinking it will fix everything. Also, I do not believe it would be good to use on really deep wounds.
Other Notes of Interest: After hundreds of years of use, the FDA is cautioning users against this known healing herb.
Cautions: might cause damage to liver if heavily ingested.
Magickal associations: Water, Feminine, Saturn; when carried, good for safe travel and money (Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota, 1985)
Other Sources:
The Yoga of Herbs: Dr. Vasant Lad and Daveid Frawley. Lotus Press, New Mexico, 1986
www.planetherbs.com Michael and Leslie Tierra
www.botanical.com
www.hort.purdue.edu
www.herbsociety.co.uk
Of miscellaneous interest:
www.planetherbs.com/articles/yoruba.html
http://www.planetfusion.co.uk/~pignut/Lunar_gardening.html
