Bloomipedia
Wild comfrey (Andersonglossum virginianum)
Photo: Anne Parker via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Wild comfrey

Andersonglossum virginianum

Wild comfrey (Andersonglossum virginianum) is a flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Wild comfrey is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

34states where USDA records it
7Bloomipedia state lists include it
13,909U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Quick look

Andersonglossum virginianum, known as southern wild comfrey, is a flowering plant in the borage family native to North America. It is also sometimes called blue houndstongue.

  • It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 34 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • In Tennessee, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,205 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #79 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,168 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #45 among the 182 flowers on our Tennessee list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,115 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #82 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (724 records)
Bloom time in the 7 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
North Carolina–April–May2,205
Tennessee–April–May2,168
Virginia–April–May2,115
Arkansas–April–May1,092
Kentucky–April–May867
Missouri–few records (20)695
West Virginia–few records (7)351

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe
Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 5 of our 7 states.
See each state
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). 2VAC5-320-10
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). 400 KAR 3:040
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead.
West Virginia
No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records wild comfrey in 34 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Anson, Ashe, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Franklin, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Haywood, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Macon, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Orange, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Cannon, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Franklin, Grainger, Grundy, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Loudon, McNairy, Montgomery, Morgan, Overton, Perry, Polk, Putnam, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sevier, Shelby, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Union, Van Buren, Wayne, White, Williamson, Wilson.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Greene, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Highland, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, Lee, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, Newport News , Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Tazewell, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Wise, York.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 708 counties across 31 states; the most are in Kentucky (75), Virginia (74), Tennessee (57).

More from the Boraginaceae family (42 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Virginia bluebells, Virginia waterleaf, Pacific hound's tongue, Distant phacelia, Alkali heliotrope, Virginia stickseed, Menzies' baby blue eyes, California yerba santa.

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Sources