Great Mullein

(Verbascum thapsus)

Other Names:
Old man’s flannel, flannel leaf, beggar's blanket, velvet plant, felt-wort, witch's candle, donkey's ears, hag's taper, candlewick plant, torches, cowboy toilet paper, and Quaker rouge.

Range:


Family:
Scrophulariaceae – Figwort or Snapdragon family

Growth Type:
A biennial plant

Height:
First year plants form a reclining basal rosette. Second year plant can grow up to 8 ft tall or higher under optimal conditions; although 3-5 ft tall is typical.

Leaves:
The plant produces a large rosette of fuzzy, gray-green leaves the first year, and an attractive spike of light yellow flowers the second year. The leaves are large, oval shaped, and extremely hairy, even flannel like.

Stem/Trunk:
The second year flower stalk is erect, and quite large, growing up to 8ft in height. The end of the stalk has a spike fully of tiny yellow flowers.

Root:
Taproot and hairy root mass

Flower Season:
The second year plant flowers in summer, and persists into Autumn.

Flower Appearance:
The flower stalk is erect, and quite large, growing up to 8ft in height. The end of the stalk has a spike full of tiny yellow flowers each up to 1 inch across. The dried flower stalk can persist throughout the winter, and can be used as a drill for fire making, or as a survival arrow shaft.

Seed/Fruit:
Seeds from the second year plant are small, black, and quite numerous.

Miscellaneous characteristics:
This common plant is often missed, but I have no idea how, as it is so large, it grows practically everywhere, and is quite beautiful. The blossoms and seeds contain a small amount of saponin. This is useful in a survival situation because it works to temporarily paralyze fish.

Habitat:
Abandoned homesteads, disturbed soils, fields, waste areas, and forest margins.

Parts Used:
Flowers, Leaves, Roots

Culinary Uses:
None Known

Traditional Medicinal Uses:
One of mullein's main medicinal actions is as a demulcent. A demulcent is a medicine that soothes and tones the mucus membranes of the lungs. It does so by increasing the production of mucus in the body. When I say this people will often say "I am coughing because I already have too much mucus in my lungs." In reality that type of chest congestion is the result of old, thick, mucus that is blocking airways. A demulcent helps your body create the good, thin, slippery, mucus that coats your entire alimentary canal. You can think of your alimentary canal as a tube extending from your nose and mouth, through your body, to your anus. This also includes your lungs. Mullein has a special affinity for the upper respiratory system. It helps your body create the normal good mucus in your sinuses, throat, and lungs. This mucus is produced by secretory cells located underneath the thick, stuck, mucus. That creates a slippery layer under the old, thick, stuck, troublesome, mucus which allows your cough to expell it. Upper respiratory demulcents also benefit those with a dry, hacking, cough by lubricating the dry inflamed lining of the sinuses and throat, thereby quieting that cough.

Mullein truly is wonderful at treating lung ailments. A tea or decoction made from mullein leaves is used to treat a host of lung ailments. Boiling 2oz of fresh leaves, or 1oz of dried leaves, for 15-20 minutes in a pint of water yields a decoction that, when strained to remove the tiny hairs, is excellent at alleviate coughs, bronchitis, lung congestion, and symptoms of asthma. Preparations mixed with mallow (Malva neglecta) are my favorite for treating lung ailments.

Native Americans smoked the leaves to alleviate coughing, bronchitis, and asthma. Smoking Mullein is listed in the Physician's Desk Reference For Herbal Medicine as a treatment for asthma. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but it is helpful for asthmatics suffering with wet, congested, lungs. I have personally used mullein teas, infusions, and decoctions to treat colds, and asthma.

I use a mixture of mullein and goldenrod tinctures to treat seasonal allergies. A friend of mine had a severe sinus infection that would not respond to antibiotics. He took a tincture of Verbascum thapsus I gave him, and in two days his sinuses were clear.

The plant is listed as an Antitussive, meaning that it quiets coughs. This is a bit of a misnomer, as it does not work as a normal cough suppressant, in that it does not act on the brain. It rather soothes and tones the mucus membranes of the sinuses, eliminating sinus drainage, which in turn eliminates that dry scratchy cough. It also soothes the mucus membranes of the throat and lungs, and it helps eliminate excess mucus from the lungs. My favorite recipe is to boil 1/3 cup each of dried Mullein and Mallow (May substitute 2/3 cup Mullein for Mallow) in 4 cups of water for about 15 minutes. I then pour the mixture through a strainer to remove the plant material, and then give a final strain through a coffee filter to remove the fine Mullein hairs. A cup of this decoction sweetened with sugar or honey is a wonderful remedy for upper respiratory problems, or as a daily treatment for asthma.

All it takes to make a highly effective cough syrup is a bunch of mullein flowers and some sugar. Place a ½” layer of sugar into the bottom of a mason jar. Top that with a ½” layer of fresh mullein flowers. Repeat this process until the jar is filled to within ½” from the top. Cover the jar, and place it in a sunny location for a month. The resulting mullein syrup is an excellent, and delicious, remedy for coughs.

Mullein flowers infused in Olive Oil is an excellent remedy for ear infections. It is highly effective for both humans and pets. It is also an excellent treatment for ear mites in dogs and cats.

Useful in the treatment of Bronchitis, respiratory catarrh, whooping cough, hemoptysis, coughs, tracheitis, common colds, tuberculosis, pleurisy, earache, and wounds, this is one of my all-time favorite medicinal plants.

Medicinal Actions:
Antiasthmatic, Antibacterial, Anticatarrhal, Anti-Infective, Anti-Inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Antispasmodic, Antitussive, Demulcent, Expectorant, Lymphatic, Pectoral, Tonic - Lung

Additional Uses
There is an old legend that tells how mormon women, who were not allowed to wear makeup, would rub mullein leaves on their cheeks. The hairs on the leaves would cause minor skin irritation which gave their cheeks a rosey red glow. The leaves are an excellent makeshift toilet paper. One must be careful as the leaves can also give these cheeks a rosey red glow. And finally, for the survivalist the dried second year stems make an excellent shaft for a hand-drill. The dried, pulpy, interior of the stem allows for a quick pile of dust to accumulate. This then results in a much faster hand-drill fire. I can attest to the validity of using mullein leaves as toilet paper, and the stems as a fire starter, but as I do not wear makeup, I cannot positively confirm the third. Although, there was that one time... Nevermind.