herbaceous layer
comfrey (bocking 14)
symphytum × uplandicum
the engine of the guild: taproots pull potassium and trace minerals from the subsoil into leaves you chop-and-drop four times a season.
functions
field guide
native to
cultivated hybrid; the parents are European
height
to 1.2 m
spread
to 1 m
hardiness
RHS H7 · USDA 4–8
light
part shade
moisture
moist
soil
any — roots mine 2m down
uses
traditional medicine
traditionally called 'knitbone' and used as a poultice on bruises and sprains — not taken internally
historical & folk use — not medical advice.
harvest
cut the leaves three or four times a season for feed or mulch
propagation
root cuttings or crown division; Bocking 14 is sterile, so it won't seed and run
season
open the calendar →grower's notes
memberspropagation, guild role, and deeper ecology for comfrey (bocking 14) — the members' view.
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relationships — grows well with
the takeaway
start a guild around comfrey (bocking 14)
plant these together and the relationships on this page start working for you — feeders, protectors, and cover, layer by layer.
- herbaceous
- comfrey (bocking 14) — the anchor
- canopy
- apple
- shrub
- blackcurrantelder