Verbascum virgatum (twiggy mullein)
Verbascum thaspus (woolly mullein)
Also known as blanket weed, Aaron’s rod.
Mullein is a distinctive herb in the landscape. Once you learn to identify it is easily recognisable. Grows to 1-1.5 metres tall, sometimes taller, and often with branching candelabra type flower stalks. The plant grows from a basal rosette at ground level and develops a tall spike upon which flowers and seeds will grow. Twiggy mullein has pebbly green leaves with a paler underside, and woolly mullein has thickly furred grey green leaves, hence the name blanket herb. The leaves can become quite large, as long as your arm or longer. The simple flowers are closely attached to the stem and usually yellow or sometimes cream. The seed heads that follow are like small balls attached to the stem and will rattle with seeds once dried in their cases. Often found on hillsides and banks, it prefers dry stony soils and limestone soils, but the twiggy mullein especially is more weedy and grows anywhere, often in boggy areas and wasteland. It spreads prolifically by seed and is often sprayed so be aware when foraging.
Edible Uses
Except as tea, mullein is not really edible so much as a medicinally rich herb.
Medicinal Uses
All parts of the mullein plant have their own unique and valuable remedies.
The flower when steeped in oil is wonderful for treating ear infections, both soothing pain and treating the infection. Dribble oil directly into the ear. Rub on sore muscles or onto the face for tooth aches, neuralgia and such. Mullein blossom oil should be steeped in a dark cupboard away from light, as the flowers will turn to black mush.
The root when tinctured is a valuable spinal and bladder aid. I have had great success. The root stimulates the synovial glands between your joints and discs to start producing lubricating fluid again. You can see how this could be useful. The deep tap root and tall, straight stem of the mullein plant help our spines to also be tall and straight. Encouraging alignment of spines and bones. It also helps to tone and strengthen the trigone muscles at the base of the bladder and reduce irritation, thus increasing the amount you can hold while decreasing the urge to “go”. May be useful in bed-wetting, and incontinence due to old age or giving birth. I am not sure of the effects of using the root during pregnancy.
The leaf is a well known remedy for treating, toning, healing and cleansing the lungs. It has been used in this fashion for centuries, be it smoked in place of tobacco, where it will reduce cravings and heal the lungs, or taken as teas or steeped in milk, even smoked in fires. As an infusion, it has a mildly bitter cucumber taste, and can be sweetened with honey or milk. A tincture is quite effective and rapid to clear a pathway to breath, could be useful for asthmatics. It helps to clear mucus and gunk from the lungs by gentle expectoration.
My Personal Experiences with Mullein
I have used a root tincture after a day’s cleaning on my hands and knees and was able to stand straight and relaxed in moments, rather than being stooped and cramped like normal. With prolonged use of the root tincture, I definitely noticed that my bladder retention was better, and I was visiting the toilet less during the night. To gain these benefits, it takes about two to three weeks of using the tincture at least twice daily.
As a smoker using tincture of the leaf benefits were noticed with in a few days, sometimes immediately when I have had upper chest congestion it had cleared my airways, so I could breathe clearly. I developed a mild cough when using the leaf tincture, in the sense that there was mucus coming up into my throat that I needed to expel. Sometimes in came up through my sinus. It is fairly gentle in my experience, though a friend found it too strong. My partner, a lifetime smoker, uses it to help stop his coughing in the morning and damp evenings.
A flower remedy made from the blossoms helps to bring our minds and intentions into alignment with Spirit and direct our energy and focus like a laser beam. It is useful for people who cannot focus on more than one thing for more than a few minutes, and often has many different tasks on the go.
More Information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbascum_virgatum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbascum_thapsus
https://www.healthline.com/health/mullein-leaf
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-572/mullein
https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Verbascum~virgatum