Symphytum officinale
Symphytum officinale
Large leaves; alkaloids—internal use needs caution.
Thick root and pointed leaves.
- Family
- Boraginaceae
- Plant type
- Perennial herb
- Safety level (indicative)
- High risk for internal use
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
- Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
- Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
- Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
- Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
- Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
- High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
- Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Photograph on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5).
Plant habit
Safety — read before use
For this herb it is important to check warnings, mix-ups and cautions. Start with the Safety section.
Quick overview
A practical summary; details are in the sections below.
- Safety grade
- High risk for internal use·details
- Scientific sources on the card
- Yes — sources are listed with claims·Science section
- When and what to harvest
- Leaf — April–May
- Processing methods
Decoction, Herbal oil, Poultice / compress
All methods and recipes on the card- Topics and symptoms
Joints & mobility, Muscles after exertion, Skin
Topics section · Symptoms overview
Identification and mix-ups
Purple flowers in branching cymes.
Possible mix-ups and risks
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids—risk with long-term internal use.
Similar herbs
- Equisetum arvense
Both require caution with long-term internal use and clean harvest sites — follow the herb pages and sources.
Topics and symptoms
More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.
- Joints & mobilityTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- Muscles after exertionTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- SkinTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
Geographic occurrence
Czechia
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)
Widespread occurrence in the Czech Republic in suitable habitats.
Austria
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)
Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.
Germany
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)
Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.
Hungary
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)
Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.
Poland
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)
Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.
Slovakia
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)
Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.
Harvest
- LeafApril–May
jaro
Region: CzechiaNotes: Leaves before flowering.
Storage
- Drying(Leaf)
Keep dried plant material in a sealed container.
- Light:
- Out of direct UV.
- Moisture:
- Low relative humidity.
Processing methods on this herb card
Longer simmering of plant material in water.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
A decoction is made by simmering plant material in water — often around 10–20 minutes depending on tradition and plant part. Denser parts (roots, bark, some seeds) are often prepared more reliably this way than with a short infusion.
Compared with an infusion it can extract more compounds, but also more tannins or bitterness; the flavour profile differs from a delicate tea. Combine this overview with the herb card for suitable plant part and contraindications.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Macerating herbs in a vegetable oil (cold or with gentle heat).
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Herbal oil is made by steeping dried or fresh material in oil (e.g. olive, sunflower) over time, sometimes with gentle warming. The result is not steam-distilled essential oil — it is a different extract type and usage (often topical or culinary per recipe).
Temperature, light, and material moisture affect shelf life; rancid oil must be discarded.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Liquid or paste on the skin, often through a thin cloth.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
A compress applies moist warm or cool material to the skin directly or through fabric. Duration and temperature are key — too hot can burn; too long can macerate the skin.
Use clean textiles and watch skin reaction during the first minutes.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Traditional / spiritual use
Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.
Related guides in the library
Comfrey in folk memory: poultices outside, caution inside
General
Traditional useFolk useHerbal loreComfrey carries historic names hinting at bone and external poultices. Modern evidence warns strongly about internal use; the spiritual line here stays with careful body care and the card warnings, not with promises of cure.
- Form:
- obklady v minulosti, odvar v tradici
- Claim strength:
- Tradition
- Source note:
- Historical names and external-use lore — contrast with internal-use risks on the card.
Scientific notes
Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.
How to read evidence strength and study type labels
Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.
Evidence strength
- Evidence level not specified
- The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
- Narrative / orientational literature
- Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
- Weak evidence
- Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
- Preliminary findings
- First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
- Moderate strength of evidence
- Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
- Stronger evidence
- Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
- Review article
- A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.
Study type
- Narrative / expert text
- Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
- In vitro study
- Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
- Animal study
- Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
- Observational study
- Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
- Clinical trial
- Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
- Randomised controlled trial
- Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
- Review study
- A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
- Systematic review
- Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
- Meta-analysis
- Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
- Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)
- Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
- Expert monograph (herbal preparations)
- Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.
Comfrey root and leaf contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids; regulators therefore discourage internal use. External traditional use is debated and still carries residue and species issues.
Stronger evidenceNarrative / expert textYear: 2016Active compound / focus: pyrrolizidine alkaloids (general)
Limitations: Hepatotoxicity risk with chronic internal exposure; topical safety is not trivially guaranteed; follow national monographs and clinician advice.
EMA Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) — European Medicines Agency
EMA: Final assessment report on Symphytum officinale L., radix
EFSA classifies 1,2-unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids as genotoxic carcinogens and tracks exposure from food, honey, and herbal infusions; the emphasis is on protecting sensitive groups and on limits across the food chain.
Stronger evidenceReview studyYear: 2011Active compound / focus: pyrrolizidine alkaloids (1,2-unsaturated)
Limitations: The opinion does not address a specific comfrey product; it is a general framework for PA exposure from plant sources; for a particular preparation consult national limits and monographs.
EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) — EFSA Journal
Scientific Opinion on pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food and feed (EFSA)
Images
The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.
Safety
What the warning types mean
The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.
- Internal use
- Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
- Interactions / medicines
- Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
- Raw plant parts
- Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
- Toxins and regulation
- Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
- Contact with the plant
- Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
- Allergy
- Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
- Harvesting and contamination
- Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.
- Pyrrolizidine alkaloidsHigh severityInternal use
Long-term internal use can carry risk — consult specialist sources.