Comfrey

Description

This pretty herbaceous perennial, which grows wild in damp places, contains more protein in its leaves than any other plant. Comfrey leaves also contain potassium, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins A, C and B12, which is why they are a veritable mine of nutrients. ROOT: Comfrey has a taproot that reaches very considerable size, as much as three metres. From this root, which is dark on the outside, between brown and black, while inside it is white or yellowish and rather greasy to the touch, an infusion is obtained that acts as an emollient for the skin and is excellent added to bath water.

Stem

The stems of comfrey, which often reach and sometimes exceed, if only slightly, a metre in height, are covered, like every other part of the plant, with a rough down, are hollow, have an almost square cross-section and branch towards the top.

Leaves

The leaves of this member of the borage family are lanceolate, that is, oval towards the base and then narrowing sharply to a point. They are bright green, folded, rough to the touch, and have prominent veins.

Flowers

In late spring the small bell-shaped flowers appear, gathered in drooping inflorescences. Their colour ranges from pink, to lilac and from white to blue.

Exposure

Comfrey plants like to be planted in a sunny position; given the depth reached by the roots, it is very difficult to uproot established plants.

Propagation

Comfrey is propagated by detaching the suckers that form at the base of the clumps. This can be done in any season except winter.

Growth

At least a metre of ground should be left between one clump and the next; the young plants can be planted out in any season except, naturally, winter.

Harvesting

The leaves can be picked from midsummer onwards; the roots are dug up in spring or towards the end of autumn by digging round them with a well-sharpened spade.

Storage

Comfrey leaves should be dried; the roots are cleaned, cut into sections and then dried as well.

Properties

IN THE KITCHEN: The most tender leaves can be added to salads, or boiled and cooked like spinach. The stalks are blanched and served like asparagus.

Beauty

An infusion of comfrey leaves and roots, poured into bath water, has a calming and emollient effect on the skin.

Health

The properties of this herb are many: it has a calming, emollient, healing and haemostatic action. Comfrey tincture is effective in soothing the discomfort caused by eczema and skin irritations. A poultice of scalded comfrey and marshmallow leaves, applied while still warm to a painful joint or to chronic varicose ulcers, is often effective. A poultice of flour made from well-dried comfrey roots, mixed with very hot water and a few drops of oil, is beneficial in cases of sprains, joint pain and swellings. The infusion obtained by steeping 75 grams of leaves in half a litre of water and leaving it to stand for about two hours before drinking is useful against coughs and catarrh. While the infusion (for which boiling water is poured over the herb already placed in a cup) preserves the plant's properties, these are lost if it is boiled: so no comfrey decoctions. Comfrey