Comfrey

[poliphilo]

We have comfrey (knitbone) growing in the front yard. I forget how it got there (if I ever knew). Ailz suggests every once in a while that I should grub it out and I always refuse. I like wild flowers. Comfrey has a thick hairy stalk, thick leaves and tiny little pinky-purple flower bells. It draws the bees. This year, thanks to all the rain, the strongest plant is nearly as tall as I am. 

Comments

[sambeth.livejournal.com]

Why is it called knitbone? Will it make my hand better?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's the idea. It used to be used in poultices.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

I have a lot of it in the garden too. It is among the herbs I dry to make teas from.. this one is great against all kind of bone aches.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Presumably it's the leaves you use to make tea?

[dadi.livejournal.com]

I use equal parts dried leaves, flowers and roots. Old recipe from my grandmom.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

The word tea is probably misleading here, in German we use it also for the stew to make wet packs. It is not a tea to drink, comfrey can be toxic if assumed internally. I let the dried parts stew for an hour or so in a cup of hot water, and then make wet packs for the aching body parts.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That must cause confusion- having only the one word for two such different things.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

yeah.. one word (Aufguss) can mean infusion, brew, cementation, grouting and tea :D

[sambeth.livejournal.com]

I can't use it as a poultice, because my hand is in a cast. If I make tea with it, will it help my hand to mend? It's a fractured finger bone, if that's relevant at all. I'm not bothered about relieving the pain per se, because it doesn't hurt much.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

It is not a tea to drink, but to make wet packs with! Don´t ever drink it, it can be toxic. It really helps only if applied to the body part which is hurt, sorry!

[sambeth.livejournal.com]

Ok, I won't drink it! I'll just keep taking the painkillers and calcium supplements.

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

It grows to huge dimensions along the river that runs through Colchester's Castle Park - and one of my neighbours here has it growing all along his front hedge. It's such a pretty plant, but I didn't know that it has healing properties

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The old herbalists had a use for almost everything. :)