Thank you Dave. I hadn't hear of the Bocking 14.

Would you believe I lost one of my comfrey plants in last year's drought? It hasn't come back so far?

I think it a huge spreader as well. And a big plant.

They say with horseradish and comphrey, once you have it, you always will!

Took years to get rid of one I had too close to a veggie garden (planted with all kinds of herbs). I was just learning.

Dug it up. Ha! Back again. Dug it up again. Ha!

Moved a small piece across the brook up the hill a little and have let it go. Now it is about 4 ft across and 4 ft tall. But it is ok there.

I use the leaves on the compost pile. And cut small leaves to freeze for winter use.

I have a hard time keeping comfrey. It really doesn't like our heat, and it certainly doesn't like being dry. It is the first plant to wilt when the dry sun starts up at this time of year. If I didn't water it regularly, I wouldn't have it.

At the same time, it loathes poor drainage. The easiest way to kill a comfrey for me is to over-water it. So, it's a challenging balancing act. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the trouble!

I agree with its' temperment. Mine is the type that cannot be started from seed. It has not taken over or multiplied.

It grows quickly in spring, blooms and struggles for the rest of summer. I intend to place it in an established hugel area and hope the rotting wood will provide adequate moisture.

I take the dead leaves off to shred and use for a comfrey tea for watering plants or sometimes will till the shredded pieces of comfrey into the garden beds.

I lost mine last year from too much heat. Apparently, it's not aggressive this far south. I do the same with the leaves.

I got a new plant this spring and put it in a shadier, sandier area, with mulch, hoping it will do better.

If anyone wants a piece of comfrey root, you can have it! I have an endless supply....I once planted it because I heard it was healthy, blah, blah blah, only to hear later that it caused liver damage. I also thought it would make a great ever renewing source of mulch...Well, I have it everywhere now, and I am leaving it alone in several areas because the bees love it, and it's pretty and not prickly like thistle or burdock. It is very agressive in Iowa. I was going to plant it in the pasture along fences for the cows, but it might be poisonous? I need to research it more.

Caitlin, thank you for your generous offer! and welcome to ATP!

So far my comfrey is doing pretty good in its new location. But it's nice to know where I can find some.

I add comfrey to my chickens feed occasionally or when available. I've known people who add comfrey as a forage food for livestock.

Here's an informative site you might like: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/new...

I have also read that about the comfrey and possible liver damage . I have feed it to my goats for 8+ years and they seem happy and healthy , of course they get it in limited quantities and have plenty of other choices.

I think it is a very good addition to gardening especially if you are growing chemical free.

It seems a lot of people are wanting comfrey for feeding goats, chickens, etc. We planted a 50' row of it for that and to use as a compost starter and to make a tea for fertilizing. Doesn't seem invasive here but it does multiply by divisions. We got ours as "roots" or small plants from Coe's Comfrey

http://www.coescomfrey.com/Coe...

Comfrey just coming up here and is the right size to ship , glad to send some to anyone wanting to pay the postage.
Just send me a tree -mail

This is me catching up.
So far I am reading here about the plain old fashioned Comfrey which sets seeds,
and the Bocking #14 type which does not.

There is also a Bocking #4 type; does anyone grow that one? or recommend a reliable seller?

No info about Bocking.

I can report that my Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) has survived its new location and is coming back. Although, it appears that something has been eating little holes in it. Also, I'm not sure if it's too shady where I have it growing, it did not flower last year. But, I'll leave it and see how this year goes.

Hi Christine, just saying howdy

Mine sets no seed. the Old one which it white flowers I believe German sets seed.

The one I have I don't think has ever set seeds , I have looked for several years and never found any . I have had this 10+ years and never have I found a seedling. It has purple blooms .

Hi Robin! So nice to see you over here.

I think the common variety, Symphytum officinale, from Europe can be either white or purple to pink. There's another Russian variety, S. ibericum, S. x uplandicum. They can set seeds, I don't know much more than that. My interest in comfrey was originally its medicinal value. It's been long established as a skin and bone healing plant. Its' also great as a manure crop or added to compost.

Thank you for having me

I have the generic variety and it rarely has a chance to set seed -- it tends to get very tall and robust with tons of blossoms, then it all flops to the ground, still full of bees. I carefully (to avoid the bees) cut it back to 4-6 inches, toss the leaves to my chickens and compost, then wait for it to recover. I think I got 3 flops last year. Sometimes the rain causes the flop, other times I think it just gets top-heavy with blooms. I do often find young seedlings close by and the plant increases in girth every year, but I only allow about a 1 1/2 foot diameter and dig out anything growing outside the 'circle of death.'

The Purple pink one I have does not set seed. The white one Which you mentioned Christine does. I have a few of those seeds. I dont use that one as I use it for the medicinal value and the white one is
considered" more" even though it is the original spoken of in older herbalist books.( as I remember it)

Hi all. My comfrey bloomed this year. I was so excited. Actually, there are still blooms on it right now. It's growing next to a volunteer Black-eyed-Susan plant that never grew very big until this year! The comfrey must be a good companion for it! It's an amazing difference as the plant never bloomed more than a couple of flowers all summer but now it is loaded with blooms!!!

Mine looks like your pic, Robin, except I think my blooms are lighter. The cuttings you gave me a few years ago had grown but didn't survive the drought we had But I think my new plant is the same variety.

Anyone have the blue comfrey

I saw a whole hillside at the Chicago botanical gardens this spring and really liked the look
Reminded me of Virginia bluebells.