Interesting facts

The scientific name Symphytum is derived from the Greek symphytos = grown together, healed. The English name comfrey comes from ‘con firma’ and also refers to the ability of the plant to knit together. Many of its regional and folk names allude to this property of uniting and healing bones, e.g. boneset, knitback and knitbone.
Even in ancient times comfrey was known to heal broken bones and wounds. The adage that bones in a soup would grow back together if they were boiled in a broth containing comfrey indicates the strength of the belief in its healing powers.
The bell-like flowers are usually pollinated by long-tongued bumblebees visiting the flowers in search of nectar. Buff-tailed bumblebees, which have a shorter tongue, just bite through the flowers to reach the sweet nectar. Ants prefer the elaiosome, a nourishing appendage to the ripe seeds. The ants drag the seed away together with the attached elaiosome, often breaking the two apart in the process. The elaiosome is taken to the ants’ nest while the seed is left behind and in this way dispersed.