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  • #1

    Comfrey misidentification...?

    Hello,

    After reading a lot on this forum about the wonders of comfrey, I was delighted to find so much of it was growing like a weed in my garden and in many places in the community where I live in South west London... Now, after looking at pictures on the web I am not so sure it is comfrey. I have a giant bucket of this stuff stewing in water in order to make a liquid feed for my tomatoes but hoped someone could let me know for sure that I am using comfrey and not some other pernicious weed.

    Here is a link to the picture of what I have growing. The flowers don't seem to be the same as other comfreys.

    Any help would be much appreciated!

    Andrea
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  • #2
    Comfrey Misidentifictation...

    Here is the picture of the so called comfrey... What do you think? What have I got?

    Andrea
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    • #3
      Looks like borage to me, still makes great feed. I am sure a smarter grape will be along shortly just to make sure
      WPC F Hobbit, Shire police

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      • #4
        Looks like Borage but the flowers are wrong - sorry Fi

        Neither is it Comfrey. Sorry.

        Hang on - let me check my book...

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        • #5
          Green Alkanet [although quite closely related to Borage Fi]....

          http://www.google.co.uk/images?um=1&...w=1280&bih=589

          However, although it won't be as heavy in nutrients as Comfrey - it will still add some so don't stress too much. As it is related!
          Last edited by zazen999; 27-03-2011, 09:15 PM.

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          • #6
            Could be Green Alkanet - Pentaglottis sempervirens

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            • #7
              Agree not borage. Flower resembles forget me not style but leaf something else entirely. Back in a mo!
              Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better...Albert Einstein

              Blog - @Twotheridge: For The Record - Sowing and Growing with a Virgin Veg Grower: Spring Has Now Sprung...Boing! http://vvgsowingandgrowing2012.blogs....html?spref=tw

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              • #8
                Originally posted by zazen999 View Post
                Green Alkanet [although quite closely related to Borage Fi]....

                green alkanet - Google Search

                However, although it won't be as heavy in nutrients as Comfrey - it will still add some so don't stress too much. As it is related!
                Originally posted by PAULW View Post
                Could be Green Alkanet - Pentaglottis sempervirens
                WOW!

                For those close to Ryton they sell Russian Comfrey Bocking 14
                Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better...Albert Einstein

                Blog - @Twotheridge: For The Record - Sowing and Growing with a Virgin Veg Grower: Spring Has Now Sprung...Boing! http://vvgsowingandgrowing2012.blogs....html?spref=tw

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                • #9
                  Ah well at least it was in the same family
                  WPC F Hobbit, Shire police

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                  • #10
                    I would have said "Borage".

                    That stuff (in your picture) is growing all over the place here and I thought it was Borage.

                    The leaves have the "Cucumber" taste of Borage.


                    There's all sorts of things in that family though, it seems.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by VirginVegGrower View Post

                      For those close to Ryton they sell Russian Comfrey Bocking 14
                      Yes we do

                      We also do mail order

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by VirginVegGrower View Post
                        For those close to Ryton they sell Russian Comfrey Bocking 14
                        It's on eBay too (but choose a seller with good feedback)
                        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                        • #13
                          It is indeded alkanet. Beautiful and garden-worthy - but not comfrey!
                          Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

                          www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

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                          • #14
                            Thank You!

                            Wow!

                            I have been on the allotment all day and just thought I would check to see if anyone had left a response. This is a fabulous group. Thank you so much for identifying my faux comfrey. It is most definetley Alkinet. Now, that I've looked at more pictures on the internet and the description of the plant. It gave me a terrible rash when we first moved here and I didn't know what it was.

                            Alkinet is everywhere in Southwest London. I thought I had found a way of harvesting comfrey for my compost and feed without actually growing it!

                            But, I won't lose hope. After looking at all those comfrey pictures I am sure I saw some wild comfrey with pink flowers growing by the Thames at the park at the end of my road...

                            Thank you to everyone who took the time to post. This was my first time posting on the site and I was overwhelmed by the response.

                            Andrea xx

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