Comfrey collection

This Consoude Collection brings together the Symphytum azureum or Blue Comfrey and two varieties of comfrey with large flowers: the Symphytum grandiflorum 'Hidcote Blue' and the S. grandiflorum. Ideal for gardeners looking for versatile plants, these perennials are also known for their medicinal properties and their use in organic gardening. Comfreys are very cold-resistant, low-maintenance, easy to grow plants in any not too dry garden soil and in all exposures. Enjoy their flowering from April to July, depending on the variety and climate.

The collection consists of:

1 x Symphytum azureum: this botanical species is distinguished by its azure blue flowers and its early and prolonged flowering, from April to July. Its foliage is deciduous. It will be ideal for dressing up areas of woodland, shade, or wetlands.

1 x Symphytum grandiflorum 'Hidcote Blue': offering bi-coloured sky blue and white flowers and deciduous foliage, this variety thrives in partial shade. It blooms in June-July.

1 x Symphytum grandiflorum: with cream white to pale yellow flowers, this wild species adapts well to various types of soil, it is particularly versatile. It blooms in June-July.

These comfreys can be planted in spring or autumn, they are used in borders or as ground cover, especially at the edge of woodland or in wetlands, on riverbanks... These perennials have a running stump that allows them to colonise the soil. Their above-ground vegetation is deciduous, it emerges from the ground every spring and disappears in winter. Plan for 4 to 5 plants per m² to cover the ground within 3 years. Maintain a distance of 40 to 60 cm between each plant.

Comfreys can be combined with other robust perennial plants that they are not likely to supplant. Male Fern, Greater Periwinkle, and Solomon's Seal will be good companions. The Symphytum is a melliferous plant, which also improves soil structure. It can be used to make a liquid fertiliser called comfrey tea, by maceration in cold water: it is a spring stimulant. Tolerating occasional trampling quite well, it makes an excellent ground cover that allows few 'weeds' to grow through. Finally, it is a very welcoming plant for biodiversity: it is appreciated by bees, lacewings, and spiders.