Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Central America, South America
Europe, Russia
Types
Fruit Tree
Symphytum officinale (common comfrey), Symphytum asperum (rough comfrey)
Number of Varieties
22
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
Cold Regions, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-116-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
-
Sunset Zone
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Thicket/Colonizing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
243.84 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Gray Green
Red, Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Red, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Root Division, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Water daily during growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Dry, Sandy
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Aphids, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Wind
Shallow soil, Sun
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
Ants, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
Pollen
Antibacterial, Peripheral Edema
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Acne, Beautiful Skin, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Air purification, Fixes Nitrogen
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Asthma, Diarrhea, Obesity, Osteoarthritis
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Leaves, Twigs
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
Malpighia emarginata
Symphytum asperum
Common Name
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
Comfrey,Black Root, Blackwort, Bruisewort
In Hindi
Acerola Tree
Blackwort
In German
Acerola Baum
Blackwort
In French
Acerola Arbre
Blackwort
In Spanish
Árbol de acerola
Blackwort
In Greek
Acerola Δέντρο
Blackwort
In Portuguese
Árvore acerola
Blackwort
In Polish
Acerola Drzewo
Blackwort
In Latin
Acerola ligno
Blackwort
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malpighiales
Lamiales
Family
Malpighiaceae
Boraginaceae
Genus
Malpighia
Symphytum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Paperveroideae
Boraginoideae
Number of Species
-35
1
27800
👆🏻