Unknown fuzzy leafed plant!

last month

Is this a primrose? I got this from a friend with a vast garden. She invited me to dig up any babies I wanted, and I found this among the treasures I dug up last summer. Now it's well rooted and thriving in my shady raised bed, but I have no idea what it is.

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

last month

it a horrible weed.. dig it out.. run it over with the car.. wrap it in 4 grocery bags and send it to the landfill ... i dont really care what the proper name is... that fact does not add to my hatred of the plant. ....

wait and see if you want to prove me wrong.. but make sure you do not let it go to seed...

the seed probably came in the dirt you bought to fill your raised beds gardens..

ken

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Comments (13)

floraluk2
last month
last modified: last month
I'm not quite sure. Most likely Comfrey but it resembles a few things. It definitely isn't a Primrose (Primula).
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floraluk2
last month
last modified: last month
Comfrey is much more likely to have arrived as a piece of root than a seed. It could easily have been deliberately planted by the OP if she wasn't familiar with it. It's a handsome plant and many people grow it as a source of organic fertiliser. Pollinators love it. If you have the space it is not a 'horrible weed'. But in a neat bed it can become a thug.

If it is Comfrey....
Esther-B, Zone 7a thanked floraluk2
Esther-B, Zone 7a
Original Author
last month
FloralukUK, it looks like you could be right. I remember some plants in a group off to themselves planted a few feet from a river bordering my friend's yard. There were some attractive blue flowering plants there. I am trying to remember if this plant was a cutting I took from that bunch. It is entirely possible that it is. Thanks for your keen I.D.

Ken, you made me laugh, which was much needed. During the bad storms yesterday, I had a diabetic sugar low which caused me to stagger around until I could get some glucose-containing fruit into me, I then had to cancel my cat's grooming appointment, I lost power for 3 hours due to the storms, and then a piece of my roof's eave tore off and landed in the yard. Yesterday was not a day to buy a lottery ticket!
floraluk2
last month
last modified: last month
The location by a river and the blue flowers reinforce the Comfrey id.
Esther-B, Zone 7a thanked floraluk2
Esther-B, Zone 7a
Original Author
last month
I have emailed the friend who has the vast garden and sent her the picture of the plant, asking if it's comfrey. Somehow that sounds familiar.

Ken, you DID neglect to tell me to nuke the fuzzy--leafed plant from space, as the only way to be sure!!
mxk3 z5b_MI
last month
And here I'm trying to get comfrey to germinate and can't...
floraluk2
29 days ago
Be careful what you wish for. But if you're determined, see if you can get a bit of root from someone.
mxk3 z5b_MI
29 days ago
what's so bad about comfrey?
floraluk2
29 days ago
last modified: 29 days ago
It's great in the right place, which is in a wild area where you don't want to grow anything else. But it spreads fast and every bit of root left in the soil produces a vigorous new plant.
mxk3 z5b_MI
29 days ago
It was recommended to underplant fruit trees with it in the holistic orcharding book I have, which is where I got the idea of it. Maybe I should re-think that idea. The seeds haven't germinated yet, so...
floraluk2
28 days ago
last modified: 28 days ago
It has deep roots which bring up minerals but afaik merely growing it doesn't enrich the soil. It needs to be cut and either left on the surface as a mulch, turned into liquid fertiliser or composted. The type usually recommended for organic gardening is Bocking 14 which is sterile so you can't buy seeds.

In an orchard I can't see it performing any specific function by simply growing, apart from attracting pollinators and conserving the soil. You'd need to regularly harvest it for use as above for it to make any difference to the trees' nutrition.

Btw Comfrey liquid absolutely stinks. Don't brew it near the house!🤢
mxk3 z5b_MI
28 days ago
^^ Good to know, thanks for the info.