Comfrey

Jun 15

8 min read

Other names for comfrey include bruisewort, knitbone, boneset, and healing herb, all which refer to it’s amazing bone healing properties. I have used this herb more times than I can count on broken bones, lacerations, sprains, bone health, and many injuries. It truly is a bone and tissue repairing plant. One of my favorites!

Printable for Herbal

Symphytum offincinale

Family: Boraginaceae - borage, forget-me-nots

Parts used: leaves (blossoms), root

What's in a Name - Symphytum officinale

Symphytum stems from the Greek symphytos meaning untied or sympyo to make whole and phyton meaning plant. Put them together and the meaning implies "The growing together plant".

Offincinale comes from the Latin word officina, in reference to a plant that was grown in monastery gardens or prepared and sold in apothecary shops for the use of healing. These plants were recognized and used as an "official" medicine.

Common Name: Comfrey

From Latin confervere meaning to grow together or knitting together, referencing its use to knit bones and tissue together. The corolla petals of the flowers are also grown together.

Folk Names:

Most of these folk names refer to the ability of comfrey to heal bones and tissue.

Knitbone, nipbone, knitback
Boneset, boneheal
Blackwort, in reference to the color of the root
Bruisewort
Healing herb, miracle herb
Slippery root, gum plant, referencing the properties of the root
Church bells, the flowers of comfrey look like little bells
Ass ear, the leaves are shaped like a donkey’s ear

History

Originated in Eurasia, spread throughout the world by settlers, birds, wind and water.

Used in traditional medicine (whole plant) as well as food raw or cooked.
Ancient Greek physician, Dioscorides mentions comfrey in his Materia Medica, circa 50 BC, as being good for bones, tissue and ulcers.
Ancient Greece used for all types of skin conditions and wound healing.
400 BC, Greece and Roman battlefields use comfrey paste dipped in cloth to wrap around broken bones as it would harden like plaster while repairing the bone and tissue, hence the name, Boneset. It has been used since that time up to WWI for battle wounds.
Middle Ages, comfrey was found in the monastery herb gardens – said to be brought to Europe by the Crusaders.
During the Renaissance. Jean Fernel, French physiologist advocated its use for broken bones.
John Gerard, English herbalist and surgeon, The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plante, 1597, cites comfrey as good for fractured bones and back ache.
In the 17th century, Nicholas Culpepper's The English Physician, claimed if comfrey leaves were boiled with dismembered pieces of flesh in a pot it would join them together. *This was a revolutionary herbal that translated herbal knowledge from Latin to English so the everyday person could be more self-reliant in using herbs in their homes instead of paying high prices to the apothecary and physicians.
19^th Century French physician and medical herbalist Henri Leclerc used it for stomach ulcers, lung and gut infections. It was a popular herb among the eclectics (physicians that were branching out from "conventional medicine" and accepting herbs, folk remedies and scientific observation for the best results) of the time.

Actions

Alterative

Analgesic

Anti-Inflammatory

Antibacterial

Antifungal

Antispasmodic

Antitumor

Astringent

Cell proliferator

Demulcent/emollient

Expectorant

Hemostatic/styptic

Vulnerary

Energetics/Body Systems Affected

Cooling

Moistening

Secondary - drying

Bone

Skin

Tissue

Respiratory

Energy:

Protection

Restoration

Stability, foundation, structure

Nurturing

Persistence, overcoming challenges

Discipline

Constituents/Nutrients

Allantoin

Alkaloids (mainly the root); pyrrolizidine

Asparagine

Caffeic acid

Chlorogenic acid

Choline

Cobalamin

Inulin

Mucilage

Phenolic acids

Rosmarinic acid

Saponins

Sitosterol

Stigmasterol

Tannins

Triterpenes

Uses

Cell regeneration: bones, muscles, cartilage, all body tissue
Broken, fractured, bruised, deteriorating bone
Bone health, building and repairing
Damaged tissues and torn ligaments inside and out
Strains, sprains, bruises, sports injuries, etc.
Wounds, burns, cuts, abrasions, boils, sores, rashes, skin eruptions, punctures, etc.
Bleeding and hemorrhaging inside and out, first aid
Any type of skin condition such as dry, chapped skin, sunburn, scar tissue, rashes, tags, irritation, chaffing, bites, stings, etc.
Acne, wrinkles, skin and hair care.
Eczema and psoriasis (external soothing while treating internal for root cause)
Cracked nipples, anal fissures and breast pain.
Back, joint and muscle pain and inflammation, gout, rheumatism, carpal tunnel, etc.
General aches and pain
Hernias, varicose veins, inflamed bunions, ulcers, etc.
Any type of inflammation both internal and external
Facial care, tones and firms skin, wrinkles and acne, etc.
Breaks up milk knots in nursing mothers
After birth healing (soaking in a comfrey bath aids cell repair)
Ulcerated organs and tissue, inside and out
Respiratory support; croup, bronchitis, asthma, etc.
Mouth, gum, teeth, and throat infection and issues
Stomach, bowel, intestinal issues and disorders, dry, inflamed digestive tissues (traditional use)
Gangrene, dysentery, lymph congestion, infections, degenerative conditions (traditional use)

Herb Preparations

Oil, salve, balm, ointment, cream
Bath, soak, steam
Washes, eye, wound, mouth, gargle, etc.
Compress, poultice
Powder, sprinkle, capsules
Extracts, tincture, liniment (glycerine best solvent for internal use, less alkaloids are extracted)
Tea
Cosmetics, facial and skin care, lip balm, hair care, etc.

Care/Harvesting

Comfrey likes moist soil near streams and ponds with dappled sunlight.
Hard to start with seed so it is best propagated by root, divide in mid-late spring or fall for replanting. Plant a one-inch piece of root and cover with about three inches of soil. Keep moist, but well drained. Check your local nursery.
Can be a vigorous growing herb so take care where you plant it. I personally have only seen this happen when the root is disturbed. I have a 5-year-old plant that continually grows in a clump and hasn’t spread.
Snip leaves any time during the growing season, using gloves to protect from stiff hairs. You can also cut the entire plant down when it gets heavy and falls over. It will grow right back, and these are the leaves you want to use internally if you choose to use it that way.
Studies have shown the leaf to be just as potent as the root but there is some that say the roots are more potent. If you want to harvest the roots wait until the plant is done flowering and then dig up, wash well and dry in a dehydrator on the lowest setting. I have only ever used the leaf and flowers tops with amazing results!
Use for composting and mulch. Add to your compost pile or cut the leaves up and sprinkle around other plants for a multi-purpose mulch and fertilizer. You can also make a compost tea by stuffing a jar with leaves packed down and cover with a lid. The leaves will decompose into a “black tea”. Dilute the tea with 10-20 parts water and use to fertilize garden plants. *Just a warning that this tea is pretty stinky so don’t be alarmed.

Safety

Handle plant with care due to the prickly hairs.
Clean wounds thoroughly before applying.
Do not use internally if you have a liver condition, pregnant or nursing.

There is a lot of controversy around the use of this herb for internal purposes. Some say it contains liver damaging chemicals, while others claim it to be perfectly safe when used prudently. Many herbalists love this herb and continue to use it internally for small periods of time to cure an ailment. Dr. Christopher recommends using the second cutting for internal use. Do your research on this herb and use your light of Christ to decide for yourself and family how you will use it. Personally, I love comfrey and have used it internally with wonderful results for acute conditions (not long term).

Controversial Comfrey Debate

Wild Comfrey (Hounds Tongue)

There is a species of comfrey that grows in the wild called Hounds Tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), named for the shape of the leaves resembling a dog's tongue. It has similar properties but do to the stronger nature should only be used externally.

Myth/Folklore

Folklore was deeply connected to plants and herbs during the Dark Ages when superstition ruled the heart and mind. Myths and legends usually have truths connected to them so I like to look for symbolism in these historic beliefs, though some are just silly.

Nicholas Culpepper believed every illness, body part and plant were governed by certain planets and zodiac signs, he called it Zodiacal Melothesia, which mapped 12 signs of the zodiac to the body. He placed comfrey as an herb of Saturn under the sign of Capricorn, which connected it to the skeletal system, bones, joints, knees, teeth.
It was believed that planting comfrey near homes could ward off evil spirits.
Travelers carried it for protection, generally placing a leave in the shoe.
It was used as a talisman to bring positive energy and fortune.

Poetry/Literature/Art

The Forget-Me-Not Fairy

Among the harebells and the grass,

The grass all feathery with seed,

I dream, and see the people pass:

They pay me little heed.

And yet the children (so I think)

In spite of other flowers more dear,

Would miss my clusters white and pink,

If I should disappear.

Flower Fairies Cicely Mary Barker

Quotes

“It does not seem to matter much which part of the body is broken, either internally or externally; comfrey will heal it quickly. It is a great cell proliferate. It grows new flesh and bone alike, stops hemorrhage, and is wonderful for coughs, soothing and healing the inflamed tissues in a most remarkable manner.”

– Advanced Treatise in Herbology by Edward E. Shook, 1978

“Comfrey is one of the finest healers for the respiratory system, especially where there is hemorrhage of the lungs; it has saved thousands of lives.”

-Dr. John Christopher

“Numerous uncontradicted reports of lung cancer cured where all other means have failed and in which the sole treatment consisted of infusion made from the whole green plant and, even in some instances, of infusion made from the powder of the entire plant.” (Handbook of Native American Herbs)

-S. Clymer (Nature’s Healing Agents, 1963)