Comfrey: Subversive punk or helping hand?

This week’s article could easily be about bending at the hip, lifting with the knees, wearing a hat, gloves and sunblock. In other words, all those safe measures we take to ensure we can keep on gardening.

Instead, it’s about how I use comfrey in the garden for an injury I sustained lopping big branches.

It’s a stupid old strain in my lower back and weeks of stretching wasn’t really helping, ‘cause there I’d be, back in the garden, kneeling, digging and the like.
It wasn’t until Ms. Mel suggested I use that very same ointment we concocted at Piebird (you’ll remember the article from a few months past) and slather it over the tender spot.

“It’s not called bone-knit for nothing,” she reminded me.

Mere minutes after slathering on the greasy cream, the sharpness evaporated. Had the pain actually subsided? A few hours later, when it returned, I applied more cream. Pain gone. When I did a bit of research, I found that comfrey is one subversive and powerful herb.

Traditionally, comfrey was used to treat wounds and reduce inflammation from sprains and broken bones. It contains allantoin, a substance that promotes new skin-cell growth, reduces inflammation and generally keeps skin looking its healthiest.

“It has been known to heal bruises, as well as pulled muscles and ligaments, fractures, sprains strains and osteoarthritis,” so says the Medical Centre at the University of Maryland.

However, be warned: if ingested orally, a toxic substance in the plant called pyrrolizidine alkaloids can damage the liver and lead to death. The UK, Canada and Germany have banned the sale of oral products containing comfrey.

Growing your own common comfrey is easy. The plant, a hearty member of the borage family, is non-invasive, yet forms groupings of large furry leaves. From the centre grow bluish-pink bell flowers.

According to Mother Earth News, the foliage are most potent before the flowers bloom and so mostly the plant should be cut back before this time if you plan to use it medicinally.

If you want to use it medicinally, use the recipe provided in my Piebird article or you can make your own poultice.

To do so, allow one bunch of comfrey leaves to mush up in hot water. Let it sit until the leaves are soft. Drain and wrap the leaves in a soft cloth.

Apply the cloth to the afflicted area and put a hot towel over it to ensure the heat works with the herb to increase the healing process and increase the positive effects of the allantoin.

I suggest you do your own research into the benefits of comfrey, since no other herb has such a rich folkloric history. Happy herb healing to you!

Anne Boulton is an avid gardener who lives in Sudbury. Visit her blog at greenboots.ca or contact her at [email protected].