Russian Comfrey Symphytum x uplandicum 'Axminster Gold'
Does anybody know where I could get this plant from? I can't seem to find it on the usual websites. Thanks!
Variegated Comfrey
This is one that I had been looking for too.
This year, I ordered some from Opus Plants. I never ordered from him before but Ed Bowen has a good reputation as a plantsman (I emailed my order because he doesn't have his online system set up). Digging Dog Nursery has it still in stock too. I choose Opus because he had a few plants I was looking for and I can actually pick them up.
Last year I bought 3 plants from Variegated Foliage Nursery. They had brown edges on the leaves. One totally died to nothing and grew back green. The other two had similar browning but never died back totally. Time will tell how the other two do this year. I was disappointed because I looked for the plant for many years. I never did complain to the nursery. Ed Bowen from Opus said the plant is known to revert if it is propagated by division. He roots cuttings so I'm hoping for a more stable plant. I'm not sure what Digging Dog does but with this plant if you snooze, you loose. They always sold out early in past years.
Thanks much. Just ordered Variegated Comfrey and some more plants at the Digging Dog nursery. Choose them since they are closer to me and hence shipping is less.
Glad I could help! Maybe we can both check in at the end of the season and see how we do. Now I'm looking for variegated horseradish - Armoracia rusticana 'Variegata' Check it out. I might even have a source nearby.
Here is a picture of the first time I saw Axminster Gold. That was at Wave Hill in 2008 and I finally got 3 last year! See that brown edging? Mine came with it on all the leaves. Two kept ahead of it but the one did not. The one quickly died back and the stem became mush. If you look closely at the leaves, it looks like the flea beetles might be having a little taste too?
Still looks real nice. Is it in full sun? Oh and does it spread like the regular comfrey?
That is a very attractive plant.
Cville, that's how I felt!
It was in full sun. Also, I visited the same plant in another year and I think it looked the same. You can see a green comfrey symmetrically placed across the pathway. Was is always green, did it revert? I don't know. I'll have to visit it again this year and see how it survived. I think I read it didn't spread but can't tell you from experience.
Have you seen another variegated comfrey called Symphytum grandiflorum 'Gold Smith'? That one is a ground cover and is suppose to spread.You can get it from Lazy S Farm Nursery. (Axminister Gold is Symphytum × uplandicum).
I may try to order this. It really is a striking plant. I did a Google search and looked at cultivars. 'Gold Smith' is nice. I like variegated plants and big leaves. This certainly fits the bill. There's also a nice photo of it in PlantFiles.