Comfrey, a relative to forget-me-not and
borage, is a wayside weedy
plant typically found in moist, woodland settings and other undisturbed
places throughout Europe, Asia and North America. While it’s colorful,
bell-like flowers make it easy to identify when in bloom, more than one
forager has mistakenly confused it with foxglove with unfortunate
results.
Comfrey, also known as blackwort, bruisewort and knitbone, has a long
history of use as food, medicine in Europe and Asia. While the leaf was once
grown as a foraging crop for grazing livestock and used to make teas, and
tonics, the deep roots were collected to make poultices and compresses. The
use of this herb is largely restricted to topical use today due to the
identification of more than eight pyrrolizidine alkaloids and an association
with liver damage in animals and humans.
