Symphytum grandiflorum, the creeping comfrey, or running comfrey[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae.[3] It is native to the Caucasus region, and introduced to various locales in Europe as a garden escapee.[1][4] A deer-tolerant perennial, it is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8, and is recommended for borders and shady situations.[5] The unimproved species and a number of cultivars are commercially available. Also, it has been crossed with Russian comfrey (Symphytum × uplandicum) to produce the multi-cross hybrid Hidcote comfrey (Symphytum × hidcotense, named after the Hidcote Manor Garden)[6]), of which a range of ornamental cultivars are available.[7]
| Symphytum grandiflorum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| At the University of Wrocław Botanical Garden | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Symphytum |
| Species: | S. grandiflorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Symphytum grandiflorum | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
The official first formal scientific species description was published in 1846 by the Swiss botanist Alphonse Pyramus de Candolle (1806–1893). The specific epithet grandiflorum means "with large flowers".[8]
Close-up of flowers
Creeping habit
