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  • #1

    Comfrey identification?

    Hi all,

    I'm new here so please excuse me if I have plopped this in the wrong forum. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if this plant we have in our garden is comfrey?

    It looks like it may well be, it has the same brittle roots that Comfrey apparently has and is cropping up EVERYWHERE, as I am led to believe that comfrey does.

    Some are just coming into flower - these are blue. If it is comfrey, all well and good as I can make a feed from the leaves (and bring it a little more under control), but if not, could anyone tell me what it is and if it too is a beneficial plant to usee for feeding? Thanks
    Attached Files
    Tags: comfrey, feed, nutrients
  • #2
    Hi Wingston and welcome to the Grapevine.
    Could your plant be Borage? That self seeds everywhere - so they say - as I'd be happy if mine did!!

    Or Alkanet!! http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ion_56784.html
    Last edited by veggiechicken; 16-04-2013, 11:01 AM. Reason: adding link

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    • #3
      It's not comfrey. I thought borage too.

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      • #4
        I"m sorry to have to tell you that looks very much like blue alkanet to me, very difficult to eradicate organically in my experience, although the young leaves and flowers are edible (but do check re identification before you eat it)

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        • #5
          hi all,

          thanks for taking the trouble to write. It's been bugging me - any tell-tale differences between alkanet and borage? All of these plants are relatively low-lying and close to the ground, the undersides of the leaves are rather hairy - from what I've seen of alkanet and borage plants, they look like they develop flower spikes whereas so far these plants haven't.

          thanks also for referring me to that earlier thread, veggiechicken from that link, seems like both plants would still make good feed for our veg patch

          Cheers

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          • #6
            Not borage, the flower shape is wrong. Borage has star-shaped flowers around the size of a 20p or 10p coin. It doesn't bloom this time of year either in my experience - it's later in the summer.
            March is the new winter.

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            • #7
              Doesn't look like borage to e either. One of my neighbours had a flower with leaves like borage, can't remember what it was after, will go and ask later..

              Anyway, borage flowers
              https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=bo...w=1920&bih=897

              Alkanet flowers
              https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=bo...w=1920&bih=897

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              • #8
                Our borage is only an inch tall at the mo, there won't be flowers for a few weeks yet
                All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                • #9
                  Appears to be alkanet!

                  Hi all, with a couple of flowers now open (pic attached) - seems I've a rather bumper bundle of alkanet in the garden. If its seeds prolifically, I think I shall be keeping a close eye on it. Thanks for everyone's advice
                  Attached Files

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                  • #10
                    That looks like borage to me. Give a young leave a squeeze, cause borage leaves smell of cucumber.

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                    • #11
                      Linzy, that's not borage. The flower's aren't big enough and borage flowers are more star-shaped. Google Image Result for http://debsgardens.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/first-borage-flower-6-17-08.jpg

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Wingston75 View Post
                        Hi all, with a couple of flowers now open
                        Yep, that rules out comfrey too: which has drooping bell shaped flowers like this

                        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                        • #13
                          Comfrey has hairly leaves, but yeah flowers are bigger and more bell like.
                          http://togrowahome.wordpress.com/ making a house a home and a garden home grown.

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