Russian Comfrey

A day of catching up, identifying specimens from the past week's surveys, stocking the cupboards and preparing for a survey visit to Herefordshire. I made time for a river-side walk and found this beautiful Russian Comfrey flowering for the second time this year. 


Contemporary herbalists have a mixed view of comfrey, despite widespread historical use. Its traditional names of knitbone, boneset and the derivation of its Latin name Symphytum (from the Greek symphis, meaning growing together of bones, and phyton, a plant), speak to its longstanding reputation as a therapeutic herb. In modern herbalism, comfrey is most commonly used topically. Some experts say that comfrey should never be ingested, as it contains dangerous amounts of liver-damaging alkaloids.

Ben struggled to wake up this morning, but made the coach, and came home smiling, despite it being his most intense day, with four and a half hours of lessons. He's now completed three weeks at college, and although he doesn't yet enjoy it, he's getting used to the routine and beginning to find a few like-minded people among his class-mates. I have to admit the early mornings are already getting to me, and I think I'm looking forward to half-term as much (if not more) than he is!