Out Of My Comfrey Zone

 

Sure I know Comfrey.  I grow it on my plot to make comfrey tea.  It is about two foot high and has a mass of green leaves and purple flowers from mid summer.  But that's not the whole story. I came across this bank in full creamy flower on an Edinburgh walk a couple of weeks ago.  Flowers cream not purple. Height no more than 15cm (6" in old money) , not 60cm, and in March! Wild comfrey only flowers from May.

Going to the reference books I come across the idea that there are three Comfreys in Scotland. These are listed in the Poyntzfield Herbs catalogue as:

COMFREY, COMMON Symphytum officinalis P  90cm. High potash plant food and high                        protein stock feed. The root and leaves provide a poultice for sprains and bruises.

COMFREY, RUSSIAN Symphytum x uplandicum P  100cm. A vigorous hybrid with bright purple flowers, a plant for the wild garden. Use for compost and liquid feeds, cutting regularly through the season

COMFREY, TUBEROUS Symphytum tuberosum P  30cm. The native Scots variety, bearing bright, creamy-yellow spring flowers. Similar use and value as Common Comfrey. Source   https://www.poyntzfieldherbs.co.uk/

Now that makes sense of it. It is the Russian Comfrey I have at the allotment.  This is Tuberous Comfrey.