Bocking 14
Comfrey(Symphytum officinale)
The most widely grown Russian comfrey cultivar, selected by Lawrence D. Hills at the Henry Doubleday Research Association in Bocking, Essex in the 1950s. A sterile, non-seeding, rust-resistant clone prized in permaculture and organic gardening for its exceptionally high potassium content and use as a fertilizer, compost activator, and mulch.
Visual Characteristics
Vigorous clump-forming perennial to about 1.5-2 m (5-6 ft) tall, with large, coarse, hairy, oblong mid-green leaves and nodding clusters of tubular purple-blue to mauve-pink bell-shaped flowers from late spring into summer.
Growing Tips
Sterile hybrid propagated only from root or crown cuttings (does not come true from seed). Deep taproot mines nutrients and confers drought tolerance; tolerates sun to partial shade in moist, moderately fertile soil. Cut leaves several times per season for chop-and-drop mulch or liquid feed. Site with care as roots regrow from fragments.
Resistance Information
Disease Resistance
Selected specifically for resistance to comfrey rust; being sterile it produces no seed and will not self-sow or become weedy from seed.
Where to Buy
Sourcing information coming soon. Check local nurseries and seed banks for availability.