Ulysses carried a stalk of mullein to protect himself against the wiles of Circe. Folklore has associated the plant – sometimes referred to as Jupiter’s staff – with driving away evil spirits. And herbalists throughout the centuries list it among their cold and flu remedies.
What is mullein, and how can you identify it and use it around the homestead? We’ll explore the many uses and benefits of this helpful plant – classified as a weed in a few states – in this article.
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What is Mullein?
Native to northern Africa and parts of Europe and Asia, mullein (Verbascum densiflorum) is a biennial wildflower with a deep tap root. In its first year of growth, the plants emerge as low-growing rosettes of blue-gray and green velvety leaves, which are covered in soft hairs. The plant produces a tall stalk that can reach six feet or taller and features small yellow flowers the following spring.
Today, common mullein (also called wooly mullein) is found throughout much of North America. It spreads rapidly on sunny, well-drained locations along fence rows, woodland edges, meadows and pastures, vacant lots, and roadsides. Native Americans and pioneers have used the plant for many medicinal purposes, ranging from healing wounds to easing lung congestion.
What Are The Uses for Mullein?
Whether you call it a weed or a wildflower, mullein has medicinal properties and can be used for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral purposes. Mullein is a snapdragon family member and has some other non-medical uses.
Use As An Expectorant
Mullein can help rid the body of mucus associated with the common cold, a virus, or the flu. It helps thin and loosen mucous in the airways.
Soothe Throat Irritation
Mullein eases inflammation, helping airway muscles relax and easing breathing difficulties. It may also help reduce coughing.
One of the best ways to obtain the above health benefits is to brew and sip mullein tea. (Consult your doctor first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.)
Here is an easy recipe for mullein tea:
- Add one to two teaspoons of dried mullein leaves to an eight-ounce cup of boiling water.
- Steep the leaves for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Strain out as many leaves as possible.
- Add honey or lemon for flavor.
Watch this video for more information.
Reduce Swelling
You can ease joint pain and swelling by soaking cloths in mullein tea and applying them to the affected area as a poultice. A mullein tea poultice can also help soothe painful hemorrhoids.
Ease Earache Pain
Mullein has antibacterial properties that can help treat middle ear infections in children. Here is how to make mullein oil to ease earaches. (Consult your doctor before using earache treatment.)
- Fill a glass jar halfway with fresh mullein flowers.
- Add enough olive oil to fill to the top of the jar.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- Place on a sunny windowsill for two weeks.
- Shake the jar once each day.
- Strain out the flowers with a coffee filter or fine-weave cloth.
- Pour the oil into a dropper bottle
- Store any remaining oil in a cool, dark place
To help with an earache, warm the oil by setting the dropper bottle in a cup of hot water. Test the temperature on your wrist before applying three drops to the ear. Place a cotton ball over the ear and lie down for 10 to 15 minutes.
This video explains how to harvest and make mullein earache oil.
How to Make Mullein Tincture
In addition to mullein tea, mullein tincture is a time-honored medicinal use for the plant. A tincture is a concentrated herbal extract created by soaking parts of a plant in a solvent such as alcohol or vinegar.
Alcohol is typically used as a solvent in mullein tincture because the leaves are not water-soluble. Alcohol can also quickly enter the bloodstream, making the medicine faster-acting.
To make mullein tincture, you need only a glass jar, a tight-fitting lid, enough freshly harvested mullein leaves to fill the jar three-fourths of the way, and enough vodka to fully cover the leaves.
- Gently wash and pat dry freshly harvested mullein leaves.
- Tear the leaves and press them down into a clean glass jar. Fill the jar three-fourths of the day with the torn, crushed leaves.
- Pour enough vodka into the jar to fully cover the leaves.
- Secure the lid on the jar and place it in a cool, dry, dark place for about four weeks. Shake the jar every few days.
- Strain out the leaves with a coffee filter or fine sieve.
- Pour the strained liquid into a clean, dark glass jar.
- Store the jar in a cool, dry, dark location.
You can use mullein tincture to treat many cough and cold symptoms. The typical dosage is one-fourth teaspoon two to three times a day. (If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your doctor before taking mullein tincture.)
This video shows how to make and use mullein tincture.
How to Harvest Mullein
You can harvest and use the roots, leaves, and flowers of the mullein plant. Here are some tips.
- Harvest roots in the fall of the first year or spring of the second year.
- Harvest flowers by plucking them off individually or cutting a stalk when the flower head begins. Turn the stalk upside down and gently tap the flower head against the sides of a bucket to dislodge the flowers.
- Harvest leaves close to the stalk with a sharp pair of scissors or garden shears.
To prevent mold, be sure to dry the roots, leaves, and flowers thoroughly. You can air-dry them in a shady location or place them in a forced-air oven.
You can store clean, fully dried flowers in a sealed glass container in a cool, dry, and dark location for up to one year.
This video demonstrates the process of harvesting mullein and making mullein tea.
What are Non-Medicinal Uses for Mullein?
Create a Yellow Dye
You can make a lovely yellow dye from mullein flowers. This article explains how.
Use as a Torch
The tall stalks work well as natural torches. Historians note that Ancient Roman armies often marched with mullein stalks dipped in tallow or beeswax. Read this article or watch this video for directions on how to make a mullein torch for yuletide or winter solstice celebrations.
Line Your Shoes
In a pinch, on a hike, you could use soft mullein leaves as a liner or cushion for the footbed of your shoes. Native Americans often lined their moccasins with velvety mullein leaves.
Achieve a Rosy Glow
Women throughout the centuries have rubbed mullein leaves on their cheeks as a type of rouge.
Build a Fire
Dried, brown mullein leaves and flowers are very flammable. You can gather them for use as a fire starter.
Stun Fish
In many parts of the works, people toss mullein leaves and flowers in the water when fishing. The mullein saponins stun the fish temporally, making them easy to catch in nets.
Add to Recipes
Mullein leaves are rich in vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and other nutrients. They can be cooked in soups, stews, or stir-fry dishes.
Enrich the Garden
Mullein can be an important part of a permaculture garden. Its deep taproot system can improve soil structure by breaking up dry, compacted layers. The plant’s tall stalks also help provide shade and wind protection for smaller, more vulnerable plants.
Mulch the Leaves
Mullein leaves can be used as mulch to help your garden soil retain moisture, minimize weed growth, and boost the growth of beneficial organisms.
Attract Pollinators
Mullein flowers draw bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators to your garden. Hummingbirds like it, too.
Additional Resources
Perhaps you have previously thought of mullein as an annoying weed, or perhaps you have dug it up in its first year before it flowers. Or maybe, as this verse from Lizette Woodworth Reese’s poem “A Flower of Mullein” implies, you have overlooked the plant entirely.
I am too near, too clear a thing for you,
A flower of mullein in a crack of wall,
The villagers half see, or not at all;
Part of the weather, like the wind or dew.
Now that you know some of mullein’s many uses and benefits, you may have more respect for the plant. Here are some videos and books to help you learn more about this amazing plant.
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