Symphytum tuberosum
L.
Tuberous comfrey
(c) Gilberto Sánchez Jardón, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Gilberto Sánchez Jardón
(c) Alena, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alena
(c) Patrick Hacker, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Patrick Hacker
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves
The root can be used as a coffee substitute: roast it until brown and brittle, then grind it finely. It produces a drink with a smoothness not found in real coffee.
Known Hazards
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Foxglove: Soft velvety hairy leaves, tall spike of tubular purple/pink spotted flowers, leaves feel like soft felt.
Tuberous comfrey: Rough/bristly hairy leaves, purple/blue drooping bell flowers, leaves feel like sandpaper.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 5-10.
Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Europe, Italy, Mediterranean, North America, Slovenia, Turkey, Türkiye,
How to Identify
A herb. It grows 45-60 cm high and spreads 90-100 cm wide. It forms tubers and keeps growing from year to year. The stems are hairy. The leaves are 25 cm long. The flowers are pale yellow and droop. Long green sepals cover half of the flower.
How to Grow
Tolerates most soils and situations but prefers a moist soil and some shade. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Hardy to about -20°c. Plants form extensive patches, spreading by means of a creeping tuberous rhizome. Plants are dormant in summer.
Propagation: Sow seed in spring or autumn in a cold frame. Prick seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle and grow on in the greenhouse through their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. With sufficient seed, an outdoor sowing in situ in spring can be attempted. Division works at almost any time of year — chop off the top 7cm of root just below soil level with a spade. The original root will regrow, and each of the removed root tops can be potted up or planted directly into a permanent position.
Medicinal Uses
None known
Other Uses
A good ground cover plant for shady borders or woodland, though it can sometimes spread rampantly.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Symphytum tuberosum, the tuberous comfrey, is a species of Symphytum in the family Boraginaceae.
Names & Synonyms
Gomoljasti gabez, Salosso, Zuti gavez
References (8)
- Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1385
- Ertug, F, Yenen Bitkiler. Resimli Türkiye Florası -I- Flora of Turkey - Ethnobotany supplement
- Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 52
- Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 295
- http://www.botanic-gardens-ljubljana.com/en/plants
- Pieroni, A., 1999, Gathered wild food plants in the Upper Valley of the Serchio River (Garfagnana), Central Italy. Economic Botany 53(3) pp 327-341
- Redzic, S. J., 2006, Wild Edible Plants and their Traditional Use in the Human Nutrition in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 45:189-232
- Sp. pl. 1:136. 1753
