Botanical profile

Comfrey

Latin name
Symphytum officinale
Common name
Comfrey
Type
Herbaceous perennial
Family
Boraginaceae

Comfrey is a robust perennial plant, recognized for its large, slightly rough foliage and its flowering in small, drooping bell-shaped flowers, often mauve, pink, white, or bluish depending on the variety. It brings a natural and rustic style to medicinal herb gardens, edible landscapes, perennial borders, and pollinator-friendly spaces. Its vigorous growth makes it an interesting plant for quickly adding volume, texture, and a generous presence to the garden.

Easy to cultivate, comfrey prefers a location in sun or partial shade, in rich, cool, deep, and well-drained soil. It appreciates soils that retain some moisture and can become imposing once established, so it is best to reserve enough space for it. Its dense foliage can be cut during the season and used in the garden as plant material for compost, mulch, or natural horticultural preparations.

Traditionally recognized as a medicinal plant, comfrey is mainly appreciated today for its ecological role, its melliferous flowering, and its usefulness in the garden. It attracts bees and other pollinators, while integrating perfectly into natural gardens, productive vegetable patches, and wilder areas of the land. It is an ideal perennial for gardeners looking for a useful, resistant, decorative, and characterful plant.

Care guide

Care level
Easy

Choosing this plant

Main benefit
Large, hardy perennial that is useful in the garden and very melliferous
Natural garden, permaculture, orchard, melliferous plant, plant mulch
Container growing
Pot culture is only possible in a very large and deep container.
Seasonal care
Cut the foliage several times during the season for mulch or liquid fertilizer; control its spread and prevent self-seeding
Growing conditions

Light, soil, water and hardiness

Hardiness zone
4 to 8
Exposure
Full sun to partial shade
Watering
Regular; keep the soil cool without waterlogging
Humidity
Average to high humidity; prefers cool, deep soil
Fertilization
Compost in spring; fertilization generally unnecessary in fertile soil
Soil type
Deep, fertile, cool, and well-drained soil
Soil pH
Slightly acidic to neutral
Minimum temperature
-30°C
Propagation method
Root division or cuttings
Plant appearance

Blooming, foliage and shape

Blooming period
Late spring to summer
Flower color
Rose, mauve, purple or white depending on the cultivar
Foliage color
Green
Foliage type
Obsolete
Shape
Large, vigorous, and upright clump
Garden structure

Size and growth

Height
60 to 120 cm (24 to 48 inches)
Width
60 to 90 cm (24 to 36 inches)
Growth rate
Rapid growth
Vegetable garden and yield

Companion planting, spacing and harvest

Companion plants
Fruit trees, berries, rhubarb, asparagus
Plants to avoid
None known, but watch out for its expansion
Spacing
60 to 90 cm (24 to 36 inches)
Harvest period
Spring to autumn leaves for horticultural use
Not recommended for pets
Not recommended for pets

Pets

Butterflies
Plants that attract butterflies

Butterflies

Deer
Less attractive or generally tolerated by deer

Deer

The availability of our plants varies depending on arrivals, seasons, nursery production and supplier availability. Some varieties may be offered for a limited time only, depending on their natural cycle or current stock. These plant profiles are designed to guide and inspire you when choosing plants for the garden, landscaping projects, containers or long-lasting outdoor arrangements.