Comfrey
Plant Size Guide

Comfrey
Symphytum Officinale
days to maturity: 70 days
plant spacing: 1 plant per 2 square feet
sunlight requirements: 8-14 hours
look out for: mealy bugs at the base of plant
harvest notes: harvest leaves from base as needed
perennial
Comfrey species are important and useful herbs in organic gardening. It is used as a fertilizer and as an herbal medicine. The leaves can be made into a compost tea, and also used fresh as a “poultice” to help heal the skin. Comfrey tends to die back when stressed so you may one day find it suddenly missing from your garden however it has a hardy root crown and will spring forth from the ground when conditions are suitable once again. We have a handful of comfrey plants in our exhibition garden and they thrive in partial shade with little to no maintenance. Although people have consumed comfrey leaves medicinally over ingestion can lead to liver failure, so we suggest keeping it around for its myriad of non-edible uses. If you have a food forest consider planting multiple comfrey plants as companions to your fruit trees. Comfrey leaves are used as a living fertilizer in a “chop n drop” method where you just harvest the leaves and lay them around your fruit trees allowing them to compost in place and be of use to the trees. Comfrey is a “dynamic accumulator” which means it uses its powerful root system to find and absorb minerals from the soil and store them in its leaves, which is why it makes such a good living mulch/ source of compost. You can start comfrey from seed or take a mature plant and divide its root crown up and plant the pieces, they will all make new plants.
Delivery Details
Delivery Details
When you place your order we head into our greenhouse to select the very best plants we have in stock for your garden. We label them with handwritten compostable wooden labels and pack them in recyclable boxes to keep them safe on their journey. Our delivery partners, Roadie, take it from there and head to the Redlands to pick up your order. Communication and tracking take place via Roadie and your driver will leave your plants in a safe and covered area.
Plant Care
Plant Care
When your plant delivery arrives, make sure you water your new plants thoroughly with a light spray of water (none of this thumb over the hose stuff). We recommend planting them within 10 days of receiving them. If you do intent to wait to plant them, we recommend placing them in a shallow reservoir (like a baking pan) and filling it with half an inch of water so they can drink the water from below while you are at work and place them in an area with plenty of sun. When planting in your garden always add a dash of Organic granular fertilizer, and give them extra water during their first week in their new home, while they adjust. We recommend disturbing the root ball as little as possible during planting.
About Our Plants
About Our Plants
All of our plants are grown in OMRI certified Organic materials (potting mix, fertilizer, seeds, etc.) and include Organic granular fertilizer, living locally-made compost, and have been cared for with healthy microorganisms from compost tea and microbial inoculants. We only use organic pesticides when needed. We only stock varieties that we have experience growing and that are season and climate appropriate for South Florida. Our curated inventory is simple enough for a beginner and interesting enough to keep an advanced gardeners attention, with new and rare varieties being added weekly.
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Now Little River Nursery & Little River Gardens
Two new names, one guiding vision; to empower people through food and ecology. For more information on our garden installation services visit the Little River Gardens website.

