Mullein is a common herb in North America, though just like dandelion and plantain it is not native to this land. It’s even considered an invasive species in many parts of the country. You have probably seen it in a ditch on the roadside, or growing near your favorite walking path, or by the fence at the baseball field. Its soft, fuzzy leaves have been snuggled by children and used as an alternative to toilet paper for many a year.
It is a biennial herb, which means there is a thick rosette of heavy leaves the first year, followed by a huge, tall stalk with flowers the second year. The seeds spread off this stalk and the cycle begins again. You can pronounce it “Mullen” or “Mully-in,” or however you like!
Mullein is one of my favorite herbs because the leaf, once dried, can actually be smoked to clear the lungs. SMOKED. I don’t smoke anything, but I tried this once just to test the BS factor of the claim and I swear to you, inhaling mullein smoke actually cleared my lungs!
Mullein is a perfect remedy for that dry, scratchy cough you can’t seem to get rid of with just a few sips of water. A squirt or two of the tincture does so quickly and effectively for me. It’s also a reliable remedy for COPD, though of course, if you’re a smoker, the problem won’t really end until you quit smoking.
How do you work with mullein medicinally?
Mullein leaves can be made into a tincture, which is the easiest way to take it and what we generally turn to at our house. You can also make it into a tea, though you may wish to consider pouring the tea through a coffee filter before you consume it, in case any of the tiny hairs off the leaves have strayed into your cup.
>> How do I make a medicinal Tincture?
Mullein can also be smoked for its benefits (seems counter intuitive, but it actually works!) The yellow flowers of mullein are infused into an oil and are a great remedy for ear aches, and help clear up an ear infection if you catch it in the early stages.
I learned recently that mullein’s medicine will even be absorbed through the skin! You can add mullein leaves to a foot bath and soak your feet in it for about ten minutes (don’t overdo it) and this can help clear your lungs and move stagnant lymph from your sysem.
The roots of mullein are also helpful in healing muscle and tendon injuries. Check out this post on mullein by famed herbalist Jim Macdonald to learn more. This whole plant is an amazing piece of work!
How can I identify mullein?
Many people confuse Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) for another plant, Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina). That common misidentification was the original inspiration for me to write my Forage and Heal book, which contains a whole section on 26 of the most commonly misidentified plants. Each entry has a QR code you can scan with your smartphone that takes you to a blog, video, or other lesson about the plants to learn even more.
I have plenty of this herb available and make medicine with it regularly, so feel free to ask if you need any help working with it. You can usually find Mullein Tincture in stock in my online shop year-round.