HMULLEIN
Verbascum thapsis
Common
Names: Blanket Leaf. Candlewick Plant. Flannel
Leaf. Gordolobo. Jacob's Staff. King's
Candle. Our Lady's Flannel. Punchon. Shepherd's
Club. Velvet Dock. Woolly Mullein. Flannel
Plant. Common Mullein. Velvet Plant.
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Mullein
grows in old fields, roadsides, and disturbed habitats
throughout the United States. It is common near
seashores, thriving in dry, sandy alkaline soil.
Archaeologists look
for Indian sites containing mullein because the lime for
Indian shell piles increases soil alkalinity, encourangin
this plant to proliferate.
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Description:
This Eurasian
plant was introduced early in North America. It was used
medicinally by many native american cultures. Its range is now
throughout the entire United States. Indians had discovered
and adapted the healing properties that had made Mullein a
medicinal European mainstay for thousands of years.
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Mullein
is a versatile biennial. The first year the leaves form a
basal rosette, with large, flannel-like, velvety, oval gray-green
leaves. The second year, the basal leaves precede a stout,
erect stalk that can reach 2-8 feet high. The stalkless
flowers bloom in sequence from mid-spring to early fall, growing
in long, tight spikes. They are yellow with five
petals. The pointed fruits opening at the tip and contain
woody capsules. A prolific seeder, each seed capsule can have more
than 50 seeds inside. The dead, brown fruit stalks
stand out in the winter. |
Medicine:
Mullein
is high in vitamins A, D, and B-complex, iron, potassium,
magnesium, and sulpher. It has narcotic properties without being
poisonous or addictive, as well as mucilaginous leaves and
antibiotic properties. It also contains tannins which account for
its ability to reduce swelling.
Mullein is best known as one
of the safest and most effective herbs known for cough
remedy. It is an expectorant and has a tonic effect on
the lungs. Pieces of fresh leaf may be chewed up and eaten.
The taste is not unpleasant, however the fine hairs can irritate
the throat. Ingesting the leaf will have a noticeable loosening
effect. If you are slightly asthmatic and are out on a hike,
and feel that familiar tightening of the bronchi, chew a piece of
mullein leaf. It will help. Mullein has a mild
sedative effect on the lungs, gently relaxing the bronchi. Many
Indian cultures mixed dried mullein with coltsfoot to smoke as a
cure for asthma and bronchitis.
The flowers have an even
stronger effect of relaxation and sedation than the leaves. They
should be gathered individually. This takes a long time.
Good medicine is to high grade the flowering tips, carefully
choosing the part at the top of the stalk. Choose the part
that is completely ringed with open yellow flowers and nearly open
yellow buds. Take no more than 3/4 to 1 inch of the tip.
Allow time to debug. Bugs love this plant. After they
have all gone, a wonderful mullein oil can be made.
Steeped Mullein Oil is
wonderful for anesthetizing pain from earaches and should be
warmed slightly before application in the ear canal. For
more anti-microbial/viral effect, a garlic clove can be smashed
and added to infuse in the oil. The plain oil, without
garlic, is a wonderful healing agent for scrapes, scratches, and
rug or mat burn. Regular use helps make the skin more
pliable and less susceptible to tearing or scrapes.
Mullein leaves may be dried,
ground, or crumbled to provide a light base for herbal smoking
mixtures. It has a great opening effect on the lungs which
is enhanced when combined with small quantities of lobelia.
Heated leaves were used in poultices for arthritis both by the
Lenape as well as country folk in the South.
Internally, drinking mullein
leaf tea addresses coughing fits, which disappear nicely after a
cup or two. Be sure to strain the hairs with a fine cloth.
This herb is very toning to the mucous membranes of the
respiratory system. A tea of the flowers make an even more
relaxing, sedating form of medicine. For coughs, mullein combines
very well with the bark of cherry tree. The tea is also good
for diarrhea and has been used as a compress for hemorrhoids.
The freshly bruised or dried
leaves can be boiled in water. They create a healing
poultice used to reduce swelling in localized areas and to begin
the healing process in cases of wounds.
At the end of the plant's
first year, the root can be used to tone the urinary tract, and
especially the trigone muscle at the bottom of the bladder. This
is a most valuable remedy, especially when combined with Cholla
cactus root. The roots' tonic can be ingested either a tea
or extract form.
Gathering:
Mullein
is an incredibly versatile plant whose roots, leaves and flowers
are useful fresh or dried. Gather flowers
individually, which must be done over a long period of time
unless you have access to a large field of mullein.
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HRecipes
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| Tea, Brewed or
"Steeped" |
Bring water to just
short of boiling. Remove from heat. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons
of dried plant material per cup of water. Let
steep 10-15 minutes. Strain through a fine cloth to
remove plant material and the "hairs" from the
leaves. Mullein is bitter. Sweeten with natural or organic
honey. Lemon can be added for flavor. |
| Tea, Boiled |
Place plant materials
into water and bring water to boil. Let steep 10-15 minutes. Strain as above. Sweeten as
desired. |
| Cough Drops |
1 cup boiling water
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup mullein leaves, packed
Steep leaves in
boiling water, covered, for 1 hour. Strain well through a
fine cloth, reserving the liquid or tea . Stir in brown sugar and return to heat. Boil mixture until it
reaches the soft candy stage, then pour out onto a greased
cookie sheet. Score with a butter knife to mark the
squares for your lozenges. Allow to cool
completely. Break into individual squares, wrapping
each drop in waxed paper.
Recipe by Karyn
Siegel-Maier
http://www.suite101.com
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| Steeped
Mullein Oil |
Fresh plant parts
(leaves and/or flowers), a large quantity
Cane or grain alcohol
Olive oil
Food grinder
Weigh the herb tips
and record the weight. Grind to a coarse blend and
wet slightly with alcohol, preferably cane or grain
alcohol. Toss like a salad, coating all parts and
disbursing the alcohol equally through the ground herb.
Cover with a light cloth and let sit approximately one
hour. This is important when making any type of fresh herb
steeped oil. The alcohol will kill most mold spores
and bacteria.
When most of the
alcohol is evaporated, put the herb in a pan or meat
roaster with a variable heat control. Compress the herb
with your hand, but don't overfill the roaster.
Cover with olive oil or a combination of oils. Let
cook at about 105 -110 degrees for at least two days,
stirring regularly. Leave the top askew to allow
moisture to escape, as the fresh plant has a bit of water
in its flesh. At the end of this process, strain out
and press the plant material, removing as much oil and
other liquid as possible. Let this mixture stand
undisturbed for at least a day and then siphon off the oil
layer on top from the lower water layer.
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