For months now I've been hearing and reading about how useful comfrey is - my own primary interest is as a manure feed - but noone, nowhere, tells you how and where to buy it. I understand it doesn't grow properly from seed and you normally propagate it from root cuttings but all this explains only why you can't buy packets of the stuff and not where to find it. I also understand it grows wild in the countryside but that assumes I know where to look for it and also, that I would recognise it and not mistake another plant for it when I eventually found it. Can anyone help, please?

Hi Charles

Comfrey is usually available from most specialist herb nurseries. There are a list in the back pages of Herbs and I think there are links to some on the Links page of this site. Most people use russian comfrey for compost and plant feed, but you can use any variety. I get most of my herbs by mail order from Poyntzfield herb nursery in Scotland because they are reasonably priced and provide good quality plants.

If you are anywhere near the Cotswolds or fancy a day trip, I have some comfrey officionalis coming up and you would be welcome to some roots if you would like some.

Best wishes

Sarah

Hi Charles,

In my experience you can obtain comfrey from any nursery with a decent range of herbaceous perennials and you can usually buy it as a reasonably large pot plant. The RHS Plant Finder URL below will show you where you can find specific species:

www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/Plantfinder2.asp?crit=symphytum&page=1&genus=Symphytum

As Sarah says, Symphytum x uplandicum (particularly the bocking strains) are most often used as fertiliser, but I think you should be aware that some find this species far more invasive than the larger S. officinale. Both will spread and once you have it you won't get rid so it's worth thinking about which one you want if you don't have much space.

As Sarah also mentions, Comfrey is a mainstay of most herb-loving gardens so if you're not fussy about the variety you get I'm sure many would willingly pass on a few bundles for free. I'd offer too, but I'm currently gardenless.

Kristina