Comfrey and Butterbur

Comfrey - Symphytum species. Common folk-name - Knitbone

There is a small patch of comfrey in flower just now at the back of the car-park in Lower Largo. Comfrey is an interesting plant that has been used medicinally for centuries. The name comfrey comes from the Latin confarre - to bring together, to marry. Symphytum is from the Greek Sympho - to unite. Medieval herbalists made a sludge out of the roots of the plant, which was packed round a broken limb. The sludge hardened and kept the broken bones in place in a similar manner to plaster of Paris nowadays. Comfrey contains allantoin which promotes cell division. It had various other medicinal uses. It has expectorant, astringent, cooling and healing effects. It reduces inflammation and controls bleeding, and it was previously used internally and externally. It is also used in homeopathy. However, it contains alkaloids which have been shown to cause liver damage and tumours in laboratory animals. It is therefore not now recommended for internal use or for use on broken skin. Comfrey can be used as a green manure, also the leaves steeped in water for several weeks can be used as a liquid feed for tomatoes as it is high in potash. I've tried it in the past, and it works well, but smells terrible.

Butterbur - Petasites hybridus

Butterbur was in flower at the far end of the Serpentine Walk approaching Upper Largo. In past times its large leaves were used for wrapping butter, hence its common English name. The leaves can grow to almost 36 inches across. The genus name Petasites comes from the Greek petusos - a broad brimmed hat. There is a smaller white variety Petasites alba which was introduced from Central Europe for early Spring colourin woodland. However, it has now become a troublesome weed in Scottish woods. I saw a small patch of this growing amongst the trees at the Cambo Estate, when we went to see the snowdrops.