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Monty's Comfrey Tea

summerholidayssummerholidays Posts: 61
in Plants
Hello all, I've just seen an old episode of Gardeners' World where Monty talks of making 'comfrey tea' to provide potassium for plants. This sounds a great idea and I have what I think could be comfrey growing in my garden. Can anyone confirm if this is comfrey or not please? Thank you.

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  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Leicestershire, UKPosts: 11,391
    edited May 2021
    I think that's almost certainly pilosella aurantiaca (Orange Hawkweed) rather than comfrey.  Mature comfrey leaves are between about 30 and 50cm long and about 15 to 30cm wide.
    This site shows Orange Hawkweed:

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • summerholidayssummerholidays Posts: 61
    Oh! Thank you BobTheGardener! I'm glad I checked before I started pinching the leaves to make the 'tea'.  :D

    The orange flowers in that photo look lovely. I mow that area of my lawn so I haven't seen it flower here. Is it something worth keeping or should I try to get rid of it? There is a lot of it about in an old inherited border. 
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Leicestershire, UKPosts: 11,391
    It can be a bit of a pest as it spreads both by seed and runners near or on the surface and can take over areas quite quickly.  Common in lawns where, as you say, the mowing stops it flowering.  The flowers are lovely, but I would either grow some in a container, or an area where it's not likely to escape without being noticed. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • summerholidayssummerholidays Posts: 61
    That's a good idea. I'll start digging them out of the grass and maybe pop a few into pots to see them flower. Thank you!
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