[Annen]

I've got a plant at home which looks very like the comfrey I have in the allotment, except for the flowers.  The one at home has blue and pink flowers, the one at the plot has purple flowers.  And the one at home seeds itself freely, very freely!  I have pulled out about 20 little plants this afternoon. 


Are they both comfrey, or is the blue and pink one borage and can I use the one at home in the same way, composting, plant food etc without spreading it all over the garden?
I would put a picture up but I have just pulled it all out and I have three bags of leaves and roots.

[ghost61]

The flowers are very different. Comfrey's are like little bells, whereas borage is star shaped. Borage is an annual, and comfrey a perennial. Hope that helps?

[pigguns]

The flowers are very different. Comfrey's are like little bells, whereas borage is star shaped. Borage is an annual, and comfrey a perennial. Hope that helps?

That's really helpful for me as it appears I have a couple of Borage plants on the lottie after goooooooogling Borage images.  Was wondering what it was, looking a bit like comfrey but the snails have had a bit of a go at it.  What do you use Borage for then?  Not come across that before.

[Annen]

The flowers are very different. Comfrey's are like little bells, whereas borage is star shaped. Borage is an annual, and comfrey a perennial. Hope that helps?

The garden ones are annual as they pop up in different places every year, but one big one has been in the same spot for 2 summers. Yes, thanks ghost, I think it must be borage in the garden from the flower description.
But I still would like to know if it is as good for composting and making plant food as comfrey?

[ghost61]

Borage flowers can be eaten raw and I think they were used in Pimms or some other cocktail. Bees love both plants so always good to have.

[pigguns]

Always good to have..... Pimms    But as I'm bee-friendly (no spraying here) I'll share (flowers, not the booze!)

[Annen]

I don't suppose for a minute I have seen the last of it in the garden, and the bees do love it.

[Aunt Sally]

The borage family is very large.

Comfrey, Russian Comfrey, Borage, Common Bugloss, Pulmonaria are all members.

[Aunt Sally]

Google brings up some interesting information.

You might be able to recognise your garden variety on here:

http://www.ivydenegardens.co.uk/ad%20borage%20gallery/boragefamily.html

[compostqueen]

Borage leaves are good compost activators and are better nutrient-wise than comfrey, according to Bob Flowerpoo

The flowers are drop-dead gorgeous, beloved by bees, and the blue flower heads can be frozen, one per ice cube, and dropped into Pimms etc.  They self-seed like crazy and come up everywhere 

[al78]

Borage is said to be a very good all purpose companion plant, helping to increase the disease resistance of nearby plants.

It self seeds like mad so if you have one plant now, you will have about 20 seedlings pop up next spring.

[Annen]

Thanks for that link Aunt Sally, mine looks like Rough or Prickly comfrey, it is certainly rough it brings me out in a rash every time it touches my skin especially in sunshine. But I might use the leaves now instead of binning them 

[compostqueen]

Comfrey and borage make good compo activators or you can just use the leaves chucked on the beds or between flowers and shrubs where they'll rot down. I used to chuck the huge leaves of Russian comfrey for the job.  I also use comfrey and borage leaves, folded or chopped when planting veg, to give them some food directly under them.  It was one of the old guys who told me to do it and it sounded sensible.  I thought at first he was pulling my leg, as they often do 

[Annen]

I'm beginning to wish I hadn't pulled them out now!!

[Yorkie]

They'll probably come back next year, Annen ...