Widely adapted and easy to grow, comfrey (Symphytum species) originated as a woodland wildflower of Europe and Asia. Various medicinal uses for comfrey date back 2,400 years, and no wonder. If you cut a stem and touch it to your tongue, you can taste a tingle, as if the sap is alive.

Is comfrey a carcinogen?

Comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are both hepatotoxic and carcinogenic (13), and there is extensive literature concerning hepatotoxicity with use of oral comfrey (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10).

What can I do with comfrey?

1. Vigorous comfrey plants regrow after greens are harvested for compost or mulch.
2. Garlic is tucked in with a double mulch of chopped comfrey and rotted hay.
3. A comfrey root poultice can speed healing of sprains and bruises.
4. Use dried leaves to make comfrey tea for houseplants.

Is comfrey illegal to grow in the US?

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.

Is comfrey poisonous to chickens?

Comfrey has been deemed safe to handle and to use externally. … Any comfrey that my hens have eaten they’ve shared with the whole flock—and they are eating commercial laying feed, too.

Is comfrey Cream safe to use?

The FDA has recommended that all oral comfrey products be removed from the market. When applied to the skin: When applied to unbroken skin in small amounts for less than 10 days, comfrey is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people. It’s important to remember that the poisonous chemicals in comfrey can pass through the skin.

Is comfrey good for the garden?

Comfrey is the organic gardener’s best friend. Its leaves are full of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – all nutrients needed by growing plants. Master the use of comfrey and you’ll never need to buy expensive fertiliser again.

Is comfrey poisonous to livestock?

“Comfrey does contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids which have the potential for liver damage. There have been warnings put out against the use of the herb, but evidence of incontrovertible documented toxicity is lacking.”

Is comfrey safe for dogs?

The Merck Veterinary Manual lists comfrey as an especially risky herb because of its pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which have been linked to liver damage. The alkaloids are actually produced by the herb to fend off bugs, but the insecticide can be harmful to a dog.

Is comfrey toxic to sheep?

Livestock Feed. 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.

Article first time published on

Is comfrey good for tendons?

A herbal practitioner survey of the external use of comfrey in the United Kingdom indicated that comfrey is rated most effective for fractures, wounds, post-surgery healing, and problems with tendon, ligament, and muscle; while it is less effective for treating boils, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins (Frost et al., 2014 …

When was comfrey banned?

In 2001 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned comfrey products marketed for internal use. A warning label was included for products intended for external use only. Do not use if pregnant and/or lactating. People with liver, kidney, or vascular diseases should avoid comfrey.

Is comfrey an invasive species?

Because it is a very deep root, it is extremely difficult to eradicate once established. … Between the self-seeding and root regrowth, comfrey can become invasive. There is a sterile species of comfrey, Symphytum x uplandicum ‘Bocking 14’, which eliminates the self-seeding problem in the garden.

How is comfrey invasive?

Most comfrey plants can be somewhat invasive spreading via seed, to parts of the garden where they are not wanted. ‘Bocking 14’ will flower and provide nectar and pollen but will not produce viable seed. The first flowers of spring.

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.

Are borage and comfrey the same thing?

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. These two plants come from the same family, however, and look quite similar to each other when they aren’t blooming.

Will deer eat comfrey?

Comfrey is a great plant to have outside of your orchard (or garden)fencing. Deer enjoy this plant almost as much as hosta, but they don’t eat it to the ground, more as a browse.

Can horses eat comfrey?

In dealing with comfrey, moderation is the best plan. I know many horse owners who keep a live comfrey plant in the front of the horse stall, and give them a leaf daily, during the growing months, I have never seen nor heard any adverse reactions.

Is comfrey good for cattle?

Great for Dairy Animals Comfrey is especially good for animals you are milking. It gives does, cows and ewes a nutritional boost. You can even dry it and then feed it to your animals in the winter. Some people say it improves milk production and increases the amount of cream in the milk (from the protein probably).

Is comfrey good for lawns?

Not many people do this but comfrey fertiliser can be used to feed your lawn. … There are other uses for comfrey apart from making liquid fertiliser such as adding it to the compost heap as an accelerator, mixing with leaves to make enriched leaf mould or burying in trenches beneath food crops and new plantings.

Is comfrey good for soil?

Comfrey’s roots break up heavy clay and creating channels for aeration and better water absorption, similar to dandelion roots. Over time, its decomposing leaves and roots enrich and condition the soil. This dual action of decomposing leaves and roots can help improve marginal land.

Does comfrey really improve soil?

It is a dynamic nutrient accumulator; it improves the soil; it is “a slow motion fountain” of nutrients, bringing them up from the subsoil to improve the topsoil. …

What does comfrey heal?

Comfrey is an herbal supplement used for conditions such as bronchitis, bruises (topical use), cancer, cough (persistent), fractures (topical use), peptic ulcer, rheumatism, skin ulcers (topical use), sprains (topical use), wound healing (topical use), gastritis, ulcers, excessive menstrual flow, and to gargle for gum …

Which is better comfrey root or leaf?

Comfrey is even believed to help decrease inflammation of tendon sheaths (Tilgner, 2018), supporting its use for joint sprains. While both comfrey leaf and root are well known for their mucilage content and associated demulcent action, the root is more demulcent than the leaf.

Why does comfrey stink?

Some comfrey tea recipes will tell you to add water at this stage, but that method will result in an almighty stink as the plethora of bacteria and microorganisms in the water get to work on digesting the comfrey and fart out all sorts of waste gases.

Why does my dog eat comfrey leaves?

This pair of herbs can be relied upon to treat a hyperactive dog. … Comfrey can relieve pain and produce anti-inflammatory properties that can help your dog manage joint pain. Although comfrey also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, primarily on the root, which cause liver problems when ingested in large quantities.

How do you use comfrey for dogs?

For treatment of closed-tissue injuries, apply a poultice, salve or infusion of the leaves. For treatment of skin ulcers, a poultice or fomentation should be made from the fresh or dried leaves. To make the fomentation, wrap a handful of fresh comfrey leaves in a clean towel, and place it in a bowl of boiling water.

Can cats eat comfrey?

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is sometimes used as an herbal medicine for people, but it can cause liver damage when given to cats.

Do goats like comfrey?

There’s no doubt that our goats enjoy comfrey. I have patches here and there throughout the farm, and Abigail especially is always looking to grab a mouthful as she passes by. … They slurped up every leaf of all three types (while continuing to ignore the container of older comfrey leaves at their feet).

Can I feed comfrey to my rabbits?

Many rabbit keepers offer comfrey as a supplemental feed option. Comfrey is a great source for vitamin A; it’s also immune boosting, and good for the stomach and gut.

Does comfrey heal arthritis?

Several recent randomized clinical trials substantiate the efficacy of topical comfrey preparations in the treatment of pain, inflammation and swelling of muscles and joints in the case of degenerative arthritis, acute myalgia in the back, sprains, contusions and strains after sports injuries and accidents, also in …