Nursery / Perennial
Malus domestica, seed grown

Comfrey Bocking 14

The permaculture workhorse. A sterile comfrey that stays where you plant it and grows back every time you cut it.

Comfrey Bocking 14

Comfrey is one of the most useful plants in a productive landscape. Its deep roots pull nutrients from the subsoil into large leaves that you cut and drop as mulch, add to compost, or steep into a liquid fertilizer.

Bocking 14 is a Russian comfrey selected in England for exactly this use. It is sterile, so it does not self-seed across the garden the way common comfrey can.

In an orchard guild, a ring of comfrey around a young fruit tree gives a steady supply of mulch right where the tree needs it, and its flowers feed bumblebees from spring into summer.

Common questions

Before you plant.

  • Will it spread?Not by seed. Bocking 14 is sterile. But any piece of root left in the ground can regrow, so plant it where you want it to stay.
  • How often can I cut it?Three to four times a season once established. Cut to a few inches when the plant is about 2 feet tall.
  • Can I eat it or use it medicinally?We sell it for garden use. Comfrey contains compounds that can damage the liver if eaten, so it should not be taken internally.
  • Where should it go?Around fruit trees, next to the compost pile, or in a dedicated mulch bed.

    • Planting & Growing Information

    Ships as
    Root cuttings, 1-gallon container
    Hardiness zone
    4-9
    Mature height
    2-3 ft
    Water needs
    Moderate
    Sun / shade
    Full sun to part shade
    Bloom season
    Late spring through summer, purple bell flowers
    Care
    Cut back 3 to 4 times a season for mulch
    Attributes
    Sterile, dynamic accumulator, bumblebee plant, orchard guild essential
    Plants that pair well

    Good company
    for your comfrey bocking 14.

    Apple Tree
    Apple Tree
    A comfrey ring around a young apple is a classic orchard guild.
    Fig Tree
    Fig Tree
    Chop-and-drop comfrey mulch feeds a young fig through the season.
    Yarrow
    Yarrow
    Pairs with comfrey in the guild layer to attract beneficial insects.
    Bocking 14 comfrey

    A mulch and fertilizer
    factory you plant once.

    Every productive landscape needs organic matter, and comfrey makes it on site. A mature plant can be cut to the ground several times a season and will regrow each time.

    Choosing Bocking 14 matters. Common comfrey sets seed and can become a weed; Bocking 14 is sterile and stays put.

    It is the plant we reach for most often when designing orchard guilds.

    • Root cuttingsThe standard way to start comfrey. Each piece grows into a plant.
    • Container plantsA head start, already rooted.
    • Current stockInventory varies by season and batch. Contact us to confirm what is available now, and in what size.

    What to know before you buy

    Choose the spot carefully. Comfrey is very hard to remove once established.

    Plant root cuttings horizontally about 2 inches deep, 2 to 3 feet apart.

    Do not harvest heavily the first year while the roots establish.

    Wear gloves when cutting; the leaves are bristly and can irritate skin.

    Sizes and formats

    What we ship.

    Plants ship in the dormant seasons, late fall and early spring, with local pickup in Great Falls. Availability changes by batch, so ask if you need a particular size.

    Comfrey Bocking 14
    Comfrey Bocking 14
    Symphytum x uplandicum
    Sterile Russian comfrey for chop-and-drop mulch, compost and orchard guilds.
    PollinatorPerennial
    Available as: root cuttings, 1-gallon container
    Wholesale and bulk

    Planting at scale.

    We supply landscapers, nurseries, farms and larger residential projects with comfrey bocking 14 in quantity. Stock is seasonal and limited, so get in touch ahead of your planting window and we will plan around your order.

    Ask about wholesale →
    You might also like
    Apple Tree
    Apple Tree
    Fig Tree
    Fig Tree
    Yarrow
    Yarrow

    Planning an orchard, guild or garden around this plant? An on-site consult in the DC area starts at $250, a written Remote Strategy at $1,500, or start small with a free guide.