Ask Lafeber

Comfrey?

what is comfrey?

We are sorry for the delay in replying to your questions from the Webinar What Should I Feed? Nutritionally Balanced Diets are For the Birds! Presented by Kara Burns. There was a death in Kara’s family and she understandably needed some personal time.

Hi Sherrill,

Comfrey is a perennial shrub that is native to Europe and some parts of Asia. Fond of moist soils, comfrey has a thick, hairy stem, and grows 2 to 5 feet tall. Its flowers are dull purple, blue or whitish, and densely arranged in clusters. The leaves are oblong, and often look different depending on where they are on the stem. Lower leaves are broad at the base and tapered at the ends while upper leaves are broad throughout and narrow only at the ends. The root has a black outside and fleshy whitish inside filled with juice.

I was telling everyone NOT to give comfrey to birds (it has been done in the past). Comfrey leaves or any part of the plant, are not safe to give to birds. Oral comfrey products have been banned in the US – people and animals.

Comfrey preparations are made from the leaves or other parts of the plant grown above the ground. New leaves tend to have more of the poisonous pyrrolizidine alkaloids than older leaves. Some preparations were also made from the roots, but roots contain up to 16 times the amount of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Thank you,

Kara Burns