[2][3] It is native to boreal coniferous and mixed forests in North America, from Nova Scotia to British Columbia and Yukon in Canada, south to New Jersey and Indiana in the United States.

[4][5] Northern wild comfrey is a small, perennial herbaceous plant growing up to 2 ft (61 cm) tall.

The oval-shaped leaves are broader at the base of the plant, growing 4–8 in (10–20 cm) long and 1–3 in (25–76 mm) wide with short petioles.

A branching inflorescence is produced at the top of the plant, with several, small, five-petaled blue flowers.

Its first description as A. boreale in 2015[9] was invalid per the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN, Article 36), as the author had created the new combination but did not personally accept it as a species distinct from A. virginianum: "Although the author does not accept A. boreale as distinct from A. virginianum, given that it is accepted by other botanists, the appropriate new combination has been made.