Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Mediterranean, Northern Africa
Europe, Russia
Types
Erianthus ravennae, Saccharum ravennae
Symphytum officinale (common comfrey), Symphytum asperum (rough comfrey)
Number of Varieties
1902
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
marshes, Riverbanks
Cold Regions, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-96-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 6
-
Sunset Zone
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Silver
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple
Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
White, Gray Green
Red, Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Tan
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Tan
Red, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Fall
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Vegetative
Root Division, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water once every two or three weeks
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
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut back all stems to the same height
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
0-10-10 NPK fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Drought, Edema
Aphids, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shallow soil, Sun
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Ants, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
Noxious Weed
Antibacterial, Peripheral Edema
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Beautiful Skin, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control
Air purification, Fixes Nitrogen
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Asthma, Diarrhea, Obesity, Osteoarthritis
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Twigs
Other Uses
Cultivated for fodder
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
SACCHARUM ravennae
Symphytum asperum
Common Name
Hardy Pampas Grass, Plume Grass, Ravennagrass
Comfrey,Black Root, Blackwort, Bruisewort
In Hindi
Plume Grass
Blackwort
In German
Plume Gras
Blackwort
In French
Plume Herbe
Blackwort
In Spanish
Penacho de hierba
Blackwort
In Greek
Plume Grass
Blackwort
In Portuguese
Plume grama
Blackwort
In Polish
Pióropusz Trawa
Blackwort
In Latin
Kessinger Grass
Blackwort
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Boraginaceae
Genus
Saccharum
Symphytum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Andropogoneae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Boraginoideae
Number of Species
40035
1
27800
👆🏻