Common name:
Common comfrey
Family:
Scientific name:
Symphytum officinale
Main flower color:
Range:
Mostly in south/central England; less common in Wales, Ireland and southern Scotland
Height:
Up to 100 cm
Habitat:
Ditches, riverbanks, other damp places
Flowers:
Corollas are tubular, expanded only slightly above the tube, with five tiny lobes at the tip. Pale creamy white is the usual colour but they can also be yellow, pink or reddish purple. The calyx has a covering of rough hairs, and is divided almost to the base into five lobes. Flowers are arranged in compact, arching clusters
Leaves:
Narrowly lanceolate, with a winged stalk that extends down the stem to the adjacent node. Basal leaves have petioles; stem leaves are sessile, with narrower blades. Stems have a covering of downwards-pointing hairs
Season:
May to June
Rarity:
★★★★★
