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Glite Dictionary
cumfrey

cumfrey

9.9
A plant that lives for many years with large hairy leaves, used to cover shaded ground
  • noun
  • /ˈkʌmfri/
  • Archaic
translation icon : consuelda
  • The cumfrey in my garden spreads quickly and helps suppress weeds.

Examples

  • I planted cumfrey to attract pollinators and improve soil health.

  • Gardeners often use cumfrey as a natural mulch for shaded borders.

  • The garden is filled with cumfrey.

  • I planted some cumfreys in the shade.

  • Gardeners often use cumfrey as a natural mulch for shaded borders.

  • I planted cumfrey to attract pollinators and improve soil health.

  • The cumfrey in my garden spreads quickly and helps suppress weeds.

Synonyms

comfrey
vscumfrey
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A plant with hairy leaves and bell shaped flowers used in herbal medicine and as groundcover

focuses more on large hairy leaves and shaded planting use
Symphytum officinale
vscumfrey
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant that lives for many years with small white, pink, or purple flowers, often called comfrey

is the everyday garden name for the same plant
common comfrey
vscumfrey
7.9

A plant that lives for many years with bell-shaped white, pink, or purple flowers and often spreads like a weed

is used mainly as a shaded groundcover in gardens

Surface Forms

cumfrey singular
cumfreys plural

Etymology

Cumfrey is linked to an old plant name, symphytum, which comes from words meaning 'to make grow together' because people used the herb to help 'knit' broken bones and wounds, and they even called it knitbone. So, the name fits: cumfrey is a fast‑spreading, healing herb often used as a groundcover in shady gardens.