How to Propagate, Grow and Use Comfrey 

For more information visit our post How to Propagate, Grow and Use Comfrey theprovidentprepper.org/how-to-propagate-grow-and-use-comfrey/ ***As promised, here are a couple of links for Tom Bartel: You can watch Tom’s free video workshop at training.growfoodwell.com/thrive/ ***For those of you looking for Bocking 14 or Russian Comfrey (sterile variety so that the seeds don't make your yard into one giant comfrey patch), I recommend getting it from Seeds for Generations bit.ly/3lQXXlG You may also be interested in reading more at The Provident Prepper: Biointensive Victory Gardens: Higher Yields with Less Work theprovidentprepper.org/biointensive-victory-gardens-higher-yields-with-less-work/ How to Create a Survival Food Forest in Your Own Backyard theprovidentprepper.org/how-to-create-a-survival-food-forest-in-your-own-backyard/ Inexpensive Root Cellars: 13 Literally Cool Ideas to Chill With theprovidentprepper.org/inexpensive-root-cellars-13-literally-cool-ideas-to-chill-with/ Chillin’ in Our DIY Buried Freezer Root Cellar theprovidentprepper.org/chillin-in-our-diy-buried-freezer-root-cellar/ Poor Man’s Greenhouse - A Guide to Winter Seed Sowing theprovidentprepper.org/poor-mans-greenhouse-a-guide-to-winter-seed-sowing/ Thanks for being part of the solution!

Our 1-yr-old German Shepherd has claimed the comfrey along our back fence as his own. He doesn't eat them or dig by them, he just lays right down on them, snuggles in and hangs out there. It doesn't seem to bother the plants at all, they always just keep growing. :)

Some things I've done with comfrey.. Made a salve with coconut oil. We use it on wounds, sore muscles and using it on my husband's leg (recently sprained it) Cut the tip of my finger to the bone, used the Comfrey salve and red light therapy. It healed in just a few days. Had a goat get a serious eye injury. The eye swelled up to over twice it's normal size. Couldn't get a vet to come look at it. Thought I was going to have to put her down when infection started coming out heavily and she was spinning in circles. Started feeding her comfrey and lemon balm leaves...LOTS of them. (Other herbs weren't helping). Not only did the eye heal, but is back to normal size and she has some sight in it. I now have new plants started with plans to start more. It's interesting that we are told people shouldn't consume comfrey and yet animals eat it like candy with no issues. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

I bought a tiny plant 5-6 years ago,lol. I do love the plant, mine is not sterile, I now have it everywhere. A few years ago I was out watering plants and I noticed that my comfrey plant, (since I live out in the middle of nowhere, )I figured maybe wildlife was eating it, lol, what I was finally able to discover was, that when my dog wasn’t feeling well, she’d eat comfrey, it never hurt her. Thank you for sharing! Blessings

Roman and Greek warriors used it to heal broken bones, torn rotor cuffs, torn ligaments. It works. I also use the oil on my skin and nails. My nails went from nubs to long and strong nails in 3 weeks

A friend gifted me a Comfrey plant 4 years ago, which I have kept going in a pot (not being a long history gardner lol) Recently I discovered one of my rabbits had possibly been attacked by another animal. He was down to skin and bone and had an eye infection and my prognosis was not good. I put him in a hutch to "wind down" with water and feed, and put some dried leaf Comfrey in his water and also left a branch of fruitless Mulberry, expecting to find his life gone by morning. He was only drinking water the first few days. It's been about two weeks and he just slephed off a half dollar size scab from under his chin - his neck had been torn open and I had not noticed. The neck is bald but beautifully closed. He's back to his sweet self and gaining weight . I believe it was the Comfey. 💯

Comfry is also a natural insectacide. Thats probably why one of your commenters said that their german shepard liked to lie down in the comfry patch. 😄Smart dog!👍 Im betting he doesnt have a problem with fleas or ticks 😊

Out here in the Australian outback, the soil is essentially just red clay and has almost no nutrients. Since i started growing comfrey, the area around it is the only place that i can see a darkening of the soil, even after years of composting and buying soil, the sun is just so powerful in the summer that it sterilizes the earth unless there is an already established tree hanging over it.

Comfrey has helped with sunburn. Had one on my neck. Soaked the leaves in water maybe 5mins. Put the leaves on my neck. Could feel the leaves warming up. It was crazy! Burn did not bother me at all afterwards!

I make a comfrey root tincture. It is great as a compress for broken bones, bruises, and cuts in the skin. It also makes a wonderful foot soak for sore feet, just 2 or 3 tablespoons in a footbath is all you need. Comfrey is also one of my favorite herbs! It makes me happy just to look at it.

I KNOW THIS about comfrey: Once you plant that stuff, you will NEVER get rid of it, you will have it forever and it spreads like crazy!! Good thing that its so useful!!! I also use it as a green compost/mulch, it has a huge amount of nutrients to feed other plants. Keep on cutting and it keeps growing. Its WONDERFUL!!

Free mulch that breaks down into fertilizer and a soil builder. It's the #1 plant to have.

Glad to see others enthusing about comfrey. I've been using it for many years. Incidentally; this may seem pedantic, but the name is Bocking 14 - no "L". Great video.

Also known as bone knit. I use it by bruising the leaves and wrapping it around the injury. It used to be planted by horse stables for this use.

Love this video! I am self-studying herbalism, and I have always wanted to have comfrey. I will be growing it this spring! This is timely because just last night my daughter burned her arm in the kitchen… I reached for my frankincense and lavender oil roller ball, as well as my honey/comfrey ointment. This morning the welt has receded by over half and has no pain. Amazing!

Comfrey poultice and salve heals very fast, so be sure you have no infection or dirt in the cut before you use it, because it will close the wound and grow a scar in one day.

A friend of mine had a sour on his leg for years made a poltice it healed in 3 days hasn't been back since been years. He is a believer

I was given a comfrey salve for an elbow injury that I didn’t have the money to go to the doctor about. The comfrey salve healed my elbow in 3 days. I want to grow lots of comfrey plants. 😊

Comfrey is good for mending broken bones. In fact one of it's other names is knitbone. We have plenty comfrey in front next to the house. They are very decorative.

My son told me yesterday that I have 'stacks' of comfrey growing under my Granny Smith apple tree. He told me it was good for placing nitrogen in the soil. "How did it get there?" I haven't go a clue. Thanks for your video.

I have an abundance of comfrey growing along the river at my farm. I’ve eaten many leaves while working in my garden. I LOVE them. I did research on herbal properties vs. commercial pharmaceutical for my naturopathic certification. which stated that it was the equivalence of 25 bushels of comfrey root were given to the rats to indicate liver toxicity. I never ate that much, hahaha.

I bought a single comfrey plant from Azure Standard years ago and have been splitting it and planting it all over our homestead. If you’re patient you can divide one plant into many over the years, making it very economical. It’s under our fruit trees to bring up the deep minerals in the soil, and more recently around the perimeter of our garden. My hope is that it will deter grass creep into our vegetable garden and also will be in close proximity for chop and drop to enrich the soil. I’m really hoping that works cuz once you plant it you’re not getting rid of it 😂 We will also use it for chickens and medicinal purposes. Thanks for the video!

I've had comfrey going for 40 something years in my garden. I have it everywhere it is even taken off to the woods. In the spring I offer it to friends or anyone who would like some and there is still more in the garden. It's one of my favorite plants.

Thank you! This was such a helpful video regarding Comfrey. As a mom and pediatrician, I truly see the value of all the ways that Comfrey can be used for health, wellness, sustainability, and through the garden. Many blessings to you.

I have comfrey now but, it took me forever to find some. No nurseries around here carry it. I finally found some online and got these little tiny root pieces and thought they would never grow but they did of course. I have now given roots to my daughter in law. So glad I have it , now I have to get some mullien and other medicinal herbs.

A few years ago I got a. Brown recluse spider bite on the side of my right wrist ...I completely healed it by interchanging 3 different poultices...2 of which contained comfrey as one of the ingredients

When I was small we had a little garden. We considered comfrey as a weed then, which was hard to get rid of, because it was almost impossible to dig out all the roots and it was always growing back. But I remember my mom making a syrup from those roots we were trying to get rid of as good medicine for everything.

Used comfrey salve on 90 year old relative with Covid. Put salve on her chest, back and bottom of feet and placed on socks. She rested comfortably with less night coughs. Also healed much quickly from Covid.

BTW it's Bocking 14 comfrey (not blocking.) It's named after the place in England where research on the 20 different comfrey varieties was done. Found this while googling - "the term "Bocking" refers to a village subdistrict, in Braintree district, Essex in England. The term was applied to comfrey by Lawrence D. Hills who chose it during his research simply because it was the location of his research." Both Bocking 4 and Bocking 14 are non spreading. Everyone can do their own research by googling, but yes Bocking 14 sounds the best to use it for multiple uses. I think Bocking 4 is used more for live stock feed only, though I am no expert. One can purchase the regular comfrey that is very invasive, so it IS very important to make sure you are getting Bocking 14 comfrey. Thanks for educating people on that!

I use it to cure wounds on horses. Crunch fresh leaves, apply directly and bandage accordingly to the area you are treating❤️

I am glad to hear from you about Comfrey. I have split one plant into three years ago. Then last year I split one into 20. It's so good to hear how it will enrich the soil it is in. That's so good to hear. I've learned about the manure tea of comfrey and nettles. But it was good to hear so much about it. I do use it in my salve (comfrey, yarrow, plantain, calendula and something else I've forgotten. Thanks again.

I wholly support everything said here. I’m a big fan of what we call in the U.K. as the “Chelsea chop”. It’s as good as composting. I rescued my crop from the side of a footpath in the village where there was a Roman settlement - they would have known the value of it. I use it to shelter other plants from serious summer heat, which was valuable this year..didn’t know chuks love it. Thank you. What an enjoyable video.

Do you have recipes for the oil and salve that you make with this? I am interested in this.

I just found you and thoroughly enjoyed this narrative and photos! I'm a victory garden prepper of sorts and planted comfrey in a circle around each of my fruit trees, and one at the end of each of my raised garden beds (4 x 10 each) to make it easy to chop and drop all summer long :) My chickens however, are not interested until the barren end of summer when there is not much else fresh green to eat. They free range among the comfrey and haven't destroyed it after 5 years. My medicinal use is for a salve and also I make a poultice whenever I've strained a muscle. It really works to relieve the pain and heal faster!

My comfrey is always covered in all kinds of bees. It's very vigorous. Will try drying some and making a salve with it.

Some physios use comfrey to help heal broken bones. It used to be called “knit bone” and the leaves need to be laid on the break area for about 15 mins. each day.

I just got 5 comfrey root cuttings and I'm so excited to grow it to reap the benefits of the plant.

last spring I got a little comfrey start, it grew and grew and was so pretty. But you said it would be OK at -40 but this one just melted down in the first hard frost. I sure hope its OK, can hardly wait till spring which is slow getting up here.

Chickens love it. Ducks seem to love it even more!

I have tons of comfrey. It is very invasive so plant it where you can control it. I have used the rhizome for sprains and bumps on myself and children.

My Dad called it knitbone and I brought some to this house 33 years ago. He used it as a compost plant and so do I. I don't know if the seeds grow as I've never left them to try, I'm happy with the plant I've got. I never knew the roots went that deep.

When I moved into my apartment, I planted a tiny comfrey plant from my old home - just a tiny plant in a plastic cup. I only have a small strip of flowerbed in front of my apartment and wow! That comfrey plant grew to 3ftx3ft the next summer. I'm going to have to take it out, as it completely overtook my nice plants. It doesn't get full sun, so that may be why it developed a white powdery mold.

Years ago, when my kids were young, and we had a hobby farm, I dried Comfrey and crumbled/ground it, along with many other dehydrated veggies, and used it all in soups, stews, and any other dishes I could get it into. My family was eating very healthy.........didn't suspect a thing, and it didn't hurt a bit! I wish it grew well in pots indoors because I would have one in my apartment right now if I could. I have three worm farms in my apartment and I would use the leaves and flowers in them as food and bedding. I would also use it for myself to eat in my different dishes.....and tea! I Would love to hear if somebody knows how to grow up well indoors! Thank you so much for the video!

Once had a goat attacked by dogs, bites all over, I made comfrey poultice and applied to wounds, within weeks they had healed up with little scarring. 😊

Hi there, thank you for enlighten me about Comfrey. I have lots of them. Some with purple and some with white flowers. I use them as mulching or just spreading shredded leaves around my plants. I also use them as an accelerator for my compost. I too enjoy watching beneficial pollinators hoping from one comfrey flower to another. I have just learned that you can make a balm with comfrey too. This is my next task. Thank you. Yacoob from UK.

I have comfrey in my garden that was given to me by grandmother. It is not sterile because I have small plants that pop up around it so it must be seeding itself. It is very difficult to get rid of, especially if you let it grow to full size. I have used the root on sprains and bumps and it takes the swelling down. I have cut the leaves and placed them over my garden beds in the fall. I think next spring I will cut the leaves and put them around my young plants.

Love my Comfrey! 40 years of using it. I eat a few young leaves in salads during the growing season and use the rest as a liquid feed along with nettles, dandelions and plantain. Love from Geordie land xx

Bocking 14 ;) Developed in Bocking, England by L.D. HIlls.

Somebody planted comfrey here 40 years ago and it’s still going strong but not always where it was planted …not as bad as oregano which is now endemic , covering acres and spread by lawnmowers . I suggest you find an out of the way spot for your comfrey planting

We loved growing in school gardens. The kids would take a leaf and tear it up and use it for a “garden badge”. So cute to see the kids wearing their comfrey badges all day!

Just ordered the seeds and can't wait to grow them. Ty for you work and knowledge. ❤️❤️❤️

Also, I grow a lot of comfrey (the woodchucks leave it alone!) It’s great to know that I can introduce it to bunnies. I’ve been rescuing rabbits for 24 years and never saw that on a safe greens list. Thank you!

I sprained my ankle and luckily I work in a greenhouse. I made a salve with a clearance comfrey. It helped IMMENSELY with the swelling. Mine hasn't flowered but it did bounce back and has 2 new sprouts.

Great video! Right to the point (thank you!!), no music while you’re talking and awesome information! I’ll be back :)

I have a beautiful photo on my home screen of my phone of a bee on my comfrey. It’s beautiful.

I've used it my whole life. I know it makes an injury heal faster. If used to help a bone injury that injury doesn't ache years later in bad weather. And I've also heard, from my dad it can CURE stomach ulcers. I've recommended it to a older gentleman who complained of stomach problems, but also to do his own research. He told me he ate a little bit in his eggs in the morning for 2 days in a row and on the third day he was cutting some of it up for his breakfast eggs and he just stopped because he realized his stomach hasn't felt that good in 30 years. Or so he told me, and I believed him, his whole disposition was way more upbeat and genuinely seemed more happy. I'm hoping to learn more uses from you. Oh, we gather the fresh leaves and let them soak in a large mouth jar in rubbing alcohol for 3 days minimum before use then either rub the liquid on the injured area or soak a clean rag and ring it out over the jar till its mildly damp to slightly wet and bandage it on the injured area plus I've put on my legs wen I had "growing pains" when I was very young and it always seemed to help🙂 thanks

My comfrey is currently flowering in zone 8! So pretty!

Comfrey is the bone knitting herb as well as a contact healer, internally and externally. While it's not recommended to ingest comfrey, I know others who have had no problems. I would be cautious about how much I took internally to make sure there isn't an overdose issue with minerals. When placed over an injury, like a sprain, it eliminated bruising by breaking up the dead red blood cells so the body can carry them away and eliminate them. It also reduces swelling. I was visiting my sister 25 years ago 1700 miles away by plane and fell off of a four-foot landing one morning breaking my ankle. I went into shock at the time it happened and heard all the ripping, tearing of the ligaments as well as the loud pop. My sister packed my ankle in a comfrey poultice for two days while elevated changing the poultice every 8-12 hours. I had to get on a plane to travel home again after two days, and when we took all the dressings off to get ready to go, there was absolutely no bruising or swelling. I could bear a little weight on it and somehow made it home. After I arrived home, a little bruising showed up after breaking open some of the blood vessels below the surface with hobbling around on it in the airport, but I stayed off of it at home wheeling around the house in an office chair keeping it wrapped in an elastic bandage. lol What a fiasco, but I never went to the Dr. over it and it healed up all on its own after that. I adore my comfrey plants!!! I will be dividing them up again this year and planting them all around in the edible forest plan I'm creating. I'm also tilling up a large, freeform area that gets a fair amount of sun in order to cultivate a lot of medicinal herbs I want to be able to have access to in the future, like mullien, valerian, echinacea, stinging nettle, purslane, hops, more lavender, lobelia, etc. I already have a raised beds with a lot of other herbs which are both medicinal and culinary...I love my lemon balm patch and have just introduced borage and the ever invasive peppermint...lol The bee balm is in with the oregano, basil, cilantro, chives and another comfrey plant...I don't think the comfrey likes the bee balm...they seem to repel each other and the leaves on both plants which are next to the other turn ugly yellow and brown. I'm planning to move the bee balm out and put it with the other mint family plants.

Wow! Your video is so succinct-- a compact, straight to the point wealth of helpful information and encouragement. Will definitely grow this! Thank you 👏😃

I bought some Bocking 14 about 10 years ago and planted it in different places at the edge of my garden and lawn. I just dug up 2 plants, replanted a piece in the original spaces and then planted 33 other pieces of those original plants at the edge of my gardens and the side of my house. I want it to stop the encroachment but I also will use it for chop and drop and Jadam fertilizer tea. The new planted areas will keep me from having to chop it and put it in a wheel barrow to spread it in my garden. I make Jadam (Korean) comfrey tea by chopping up a bunch of comfrey and stuffing it into a 32 gallon black garbage can. I pack the comfrey tight up to about 3/4 of the garbage can. I throw in some leaf mold and sea salt, wait about three months and mix the solution 1 part tea to 10 parts water. You can keep adding the comfrey and water. It's freeze proof over the winter. It works and you will never run out of the stuff. The Russian Bocking 14's NPK is 1.8 - 0.5 - 7. Buying it was one of the smartest things I've ever done for my garden and my back.

Was very informative, thanks for the video. I use comfrey as a tea, though it isn't very good tasting so I add ginger in the brew.

I grew it when I knew I needed surgery. I heard it was a good bone healer. Put it in my smoothies.

I found it wonderful for my back I have 35 metals screws brackets an 4 rods in my spine Ive made salve but it cost alot for me to buy dried confrey so I got a root today to try an grow my own ❤️❤️ God Bless Rebecca 70+

Thanks for sharing this knowledge, I now know where to plant it in my garden. It will be a pollinator and planted next to raspberries and my annual vegetable plot. I am learning more and more thanks to those on RU-vid who continue to share.

I have used comfrey leaves on the back with a layer of cotton cloth over the leaves then saran wrap over the leaves, hot wool blanket (cut to size as in Foments) to lay over the leaves, making sure the hot pieces of wool are squeezed out tight use rubber gloves, then tested on the back to make sure they are comfortable ask the person. As soon as they are cooled down repeat until the person has had pain relief. Usually, three treatments are sufficient to relax the muscles. This was done at a Doctors request.

I have comfrey growing in my yard now. Thank you for the propagation information. God bless you! ❤

Your video is fabulous! I wrecked my left rotator cuff in a stupid fall and had to undergo mayor reconstructive surgery to reattach my biceps, several tendons and ligaments almost a month ago and am still not permitted to use my shoulder! Thankfully, there is almost no pain now. I am very interested in acquiring some miracle comfrey to speed up my healing and full recovery. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I started comfry this winter in a pot, took about 4months for it to sprout! Now im thinking about where to plant it in my yard!

I watched a video. The Nature Path related a story. A farmer in Australia's cow was deathly sick. His vet recommended he put the cow down. Farmer decided if the cow was going to die. It would not hurt to start feeding the cow comfrey. After a few days the cow was not dead but was better. Long story short. The cow recovered.

It looks like you’re in the north west. Not very many RU-vidrs out hear. So it’s hard to get help. Broke my foot a few years back and I put a comfrey cream on it. Healed it up fast. Went to a friend and got a start right away. It works.

I love this plant, so awesome!!! Listen up!!

Your videos are so incredibly informative! Appreciate you so much!

Kylene, I would love a start! I just found your channel! It is amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your profound knowledge, Linda

This is an amazing plant. Plant anywhere and It will thrive.

Thank you, it’s on my list to plant this year!!

My very best friend was an asthmatic. She could not go to barbques or enter a room where people smoked etc. she slept with her machine for help. She used to go to the gym. Jack Lalane’s. One day she finished exercising and on her way out she ran into Jack himself. He stopped her. Confirmed that she was whizzing and told her to drink comfrey tea and marched on. No hello no good bye. She had no idea what comfrey was. Where to get it etc. it took her dropping into the local health store and she was now making comfrey tea. She did not know how much to drink so she took a thermos full to work each day and drank it all. Soon no more whizzing. No more asthma. For years and years she drank that tea and one day she started to whizz again and realized she had stopped drinking her tea. So needles to say... she went right back to it. Lived to be 96 in terrific health!

Very well done! Thanks for taking the time to make and share. I've grown comfrey for years but learned a lot about it from your video.

i am growing comfry and didnt know it. this is the second year. ty for video. now i know what to do with it ha

i too use comfrey alot, making liquid fertilizer, used it when I fractured the head of my radius bone in my elbow, soak my feet in it as a foot bath, make tinctures, I love it and yes I grow alot to to increase my bees in the garden also borage alongside and thank you from New Zealand

Wow, I learn something from every video. Thanks.

I have a very small yard so I don't have a place to plant it in the ground. I was gifted with several comfrey cuttings. I planted them in a large pot. I hope it grows.

Thanks for responding! Of course! I couldn’t even imagine letting a bunny in the garden. I rescue domestic bunnies and only keep them inside. I have a lot of woodchucks on my property so growing a garden is a challenge. They even eat more than bunnies. I appreciate all of your sharing. It’s great to see how your entire family has grown and shared together.

Thank you for your wonderful & powerful information

Great job! Very informative and organized...and I love your passion!

Thank you. Very helpful information. 😃

Great video, thank you. Comfrey is such an important plant to have in your arsenal.

I just bought 20 comfrey starts. I've got them potted and starting to sprout up. I'm planning on planting them around my fruit trees and my chicken coop

Great info, thank you for sharing

It took away my Mom's allergies for life by drinking it as a tea. As a teenager I injured my foot bad. My mom wrapped it in comfrey and by the next day the swelling was gone. It's a contact herb 🌿.

I just got comfrey today. I’m so excited!

I started it from seeds. I put them in slightly moist soil in a lidded plastic container in the fridge to stratify the seeds and mistakenly I forgot about them for a year, my wife cleans the fridge and she asked me what they were. Well, I tried planting them anyway and 3 came up! I'm growing them larger in pots until they go in the ground.

Love comfrey, and it’s in my garden.

Very educational. Thanks for the video

Excellent presentation very informative, appreciate you.

I have just discovered this plant, just only a few days ago, I'm going to get the front garden sorted this week to start growing it, but just now I bought dried comfrey root & herbal tea pot and I bought comfrey ointment for my sore hip. I only started tonight!

Very detailed information. Thanks.

Great info in one place!

Thank you - great vid...I'm getting some comfrey!

Thank you, very well explained.

THX SO MUCH! HAV A GREAT DAY!!!