| Comfrey Symphytum Officinale by Danny Lown |
As I walk down my garden path one day, my Comfrey is at my ankle and almost the next it is at my knee. Years ago I asked my grandfather what the huge plant was at the end of his garden. He spun me this tale about the time of the blue and the gray. "If you were wounded by saber or gun you always needed Comfrey close at hand. " During the 1860's the three things to heal a wound were Cayenne, spider webs, and Comfrey. Over the years I have used the two many times, perhaps sometime I will get around to trying the spider webs. Comfrey is a tall, rough-leaved plant found growing almost everywhere. It can become a nuisance since it reproduces rapidly-even from just a tiny bit of root. ( Mine is confined in a 5 gallon bucket buried in the ground up to its rim.) The stems and leaves are covered with coarce, bristly hairs. Generally, the leaves, stems, and roots all produce an extremely mucilaginous juice when broken. The plants can reach heights up to 4 feet and will have bluish colored blossoms. Comfrey has several medicinal actions. It is known as a vulnerary and as an astrigent. These properties make it useful in healing wounds. Comfrey works to increase cell production, causing wounds to heal over rapidly. Comfrey is a demulcent, producing mucilage that coats and soothes irritated tissues. It will reduce inflammation, and at the same time lessen scarring. Both roots and leaves are used medicinally, with the root being more potent. The leaves can be gathered at any time, although during flowerng is the best. Dig the root in the fall or early spring. I just bundle the leaves and hang them where they will get some air out of the direct sun. The root is peeled and sliced, and then dried. Caution: People do use Comfrey internally for such things as ulcers. If you decide to do so, use it for only a moderate periods of time. I hope this will add a trusted natural remedy to your herbal list. Dragons Blessings, Ninja Ninja is Danny Lown, a Sage who organic gardens in the high desert of the Pacific North West. He follows the Celtic path of his Scottish ancestors and is a grower of herbs, a student of nature and a worker of magick. |