Family: Boraginaceae Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale Flowering time: May-August. Perennial. Native / introduced Grows on damp ground by rivers and streams, in marshes and ditches and as a garden escape or discard on roadsides and wasteground Branched, hairy plant, stems deeply winged between leaf axils. Flowers creamy white or purplish-red with pointed calyx teeth, equal or longer than tube. Leaves strongly decurrent, basal leaves stalked, the upper leaves narrower and stalkless. N.B. Hybrids and back-crosses are very frequent Simlar: Easily confused with Russian Comfrey, S. x uplandicum

Common Comfrey, Symphytum officinale
Photographs: Kingston Lacy, Dorset. September 2020