Comfrey 'Hidcote Blue'
Symphytum 'Hidcote Blue' ·
Clusters of nodding bells that are red in bud, open blue and fade to white, over a dense carpet of rough, dark leaves.
- Size
- 18 in tall, 3 ft wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Part sun to shade
- Flowers
- Late April to late May
- Pets
- Toxic (moderate)
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
A bed built around comfrey 'Hidcote Blue'
The planner designed this bed around comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' × 1, blue
- 2 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 7, tan
- 3 Bellflower 'Dickson's Gold' × 17, blue
- 4 White snakeroot 'Chocolate' × 3, white
- 5 Inkberry 'Gem Box' × 1, dark green leaves
- 6 Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert' × 3, white
- 7 Grecian windflower × 12, pink
Why this plant
- The only bold leaves here. The rest are fine and medium. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
- The only bells. The others are spires, open bowls, dense clusters and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
Why here
- In the middle. At 18 in it is the step between bellflower 'Dickson's Gold' (5 in) in front and white snakeroot 'Chocolate' (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- One plant. Three or more is usual for a plant of this kind, and reads better.
- Bold leaf against fine. Moor grass 'Greenlee' is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.
Why now
- In flower for six weeks. From late April to late May.
- Fills a gap. For one of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 4 of the 4 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Low plants run along 100% of the front edge: moor grass 'Greenlee' and bellflower 'Dickson's Gold'. Bellflower 'Dickson's Gold' is the plant there is most of: 17 of the 44.
The planner's own design check: 14 Excellent, 2 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: White snakeroot 'Chocolate' is highly poisonous to people and horses. Comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' spreads aggressively.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' goes in a border
At 18 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
An unbeatable groundcover for dry shade under trees and hedges, where it smothers every weed. It also smothers every neighbour, so plant it alone.
- Groundcover in dry shade under trees
- Rough ground and hedge bottoms
- Early flowers for bumblebees
What to plant with comfrey 'Hidcote Blue'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Bigroot cranesbill: in flower together for three weeks, from mid May; medium leaves against its bold ones.
- Male fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; medium leaves against its bold ones; tall enough (3 ft) to stand behind it.
- Lenten rose: in flower together for three weeks, from late April.
Questions about comfrey 'Hidcote Blue'
Does comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' need sun or shade?
Comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late April to late May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 4 | Early May to early June |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Late April to late May |
| Zone 6 | Mid April to late May |
| Zone 7 | Mid April to mid May |
| Zone 8 | Early April to early May |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' be planted?
24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' plants do I need?
At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 10 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts contain alkaloids that damage the liver if eaten. The hairy leaves can irritate skin.
Is there a pet-safe plant like comfrey 'Hidcote Blue'?
These come closest to doing what comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Bugleweed 'Catlin's Giant': the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 10 in shorter, 6 in narrower.
- Brunnera 'Alexander's Great': the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour; a drift, not a carpet, wants moist soil.
- Bigleaf aster: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, flowers early August to mid September.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Will comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is high. Spreads aggressively by creeping roots and regrows from any piece left behind. Plant it only where it can be allowed to take over.
What flowers after comfrey 'Hidcote Blue'?
Comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' is over by late May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
- Astilbe: from late June to mid July, 24 in tall.
- Daylily: from late June to early August, 2½ ft tall.
What does comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' look like in winter?
Comfrey 'Hidcote Blue' dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 18 in (45 cm) tall, 3 ft (90 cm) wide
- Plant
- 24 in (60 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Late April to late May; hanging bells; blue, pink, white
- Leaves
- Bold texture, herbaceous; dark green
- Shape
- Mounding, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Part sun, part shade, shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.