All About Mullein: The Herb of the Month for March 2016

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When it comes to supporting the respiratory system, few herbs are as gentle and effective as mullein. Both the flowers and the leaves are a valuable part of the herbal home remedy cabinet!

When I first learned about mullein, I was fascinated by the fact that it is a wonderfully gentle and effective remedy for respiratory complaints while also being a common and carefree plant that grows about anywhere.

Soon, I started spotting mullein along roadsides, in meadows, and joy of joys, springing up in my own yard! I planted it one year to be certain I had the right plant and have been delighted to find it returning. Once you know what mullein looks like, it becomes very easy to identify.

What really endeared this herb to me was witnessing how effective it truly is in easing coughs and other respiratory complaints. A cup of mullein tea (often combined with elder flower) has done wonders many times when someone in our family was dealing with a cough!

This gentle herb is one I never like to be without. Both its flowers and leaves are very useful! As you read and learn more about mullein, be sure to checkout the giveaway for a mullein herb set at the end of this post and get your free printable herb card, too!

Basic Information

Botanical Name

Verbascum thapsus is the most commonly used species of mullein, though there are other varieties.

Description

Mullein is a biennial plant, meaning that it lives two years. In the first year, it grows into a large rosette of oblong, thick, and fuzzy green-gray leaves. Outer leaves can be quite large while inner leaves are half the size, growing close to the ground. During its second year, it sends up a very tall, slender stalk that will randomly be dotted with small yellow flowers as the plant blooms. This stalk may be branched and typically grows to be about 6 feet high.

Parts Used

Dried leaves and flowers

Uses

Actions in the Body

• Mullein is an excellent expectorant, helping the body expel excess mucus from the respiratory system.
• It is a demulcent, soothing irritated tissues, especially those of the throat and lungs.
• With anti-inflammatory actions, it is able to further soothe tissues.
• As an anti-spasmodic, it can help calm coughing spells during respiratory illness.

Suggested Uses

Dried mullein leaf is most frequently brewed as an herbal infusion to promote respiratory health. Two teaspoons of the herb can be infused in 1 cup of freshly boiled water, then steeped for about 15 minutes. Mullein leaf is covered in very fine hairs, so it is important to strain the infusion through cloth or an unbleached coffee filter to avoid further irritating the throat with the hairs.

Mullein flowers are a well-established remedy for earaches, easing the pain and inflammation in the inner ear. Dried flowers may be infused in warm olive oil for about 3 hours, then strained out of the oil. The oil can then be placed in the ears during an earache or ear infection, so long as the ear drum has not ruptured.

Mullein flowers may also be brewed into an herbal infusion in the same manner as mullein leaf, or the two may be used together for the infusion.

Safety Considerations

Mullein is safe for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly. It is a very gentle yet effective herb, making it an excellent remedy to consider.

Free Printable Mullein Card

I’m pleased to provide you with a new herb card for the month of March featuring key information about mullein. Just subscribe below to get your download link! If you’re already a subscriber, your link is coming in the Recap this Saturday.

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Win a Mullein Herb Set from Mountain Rose Herbs!

Disclosure: affiliate links are contained in the remainder of this post. Purchases made through these links come at no additional cost to you but can support this site with a commission. Thanks!

Mountain Rose Herbs is my very favorite online provider of quality organic herbs, carrier oils, body care ingredients, and more. They are providing a wonderful set of organic herbs and supplies to help one of you get to know mullein better! You might just find these ingredients helpful for the next post featuring a favorite way to use mullein… hint, hint!

One reader will win this prize set containing

• Mullein leaf (sample size)
• Mullein flower (sample size)
• Calendula (sample size)
• Minced garlic (sample size)
• Extra virgin olive oil (16 oz.)
• 2 dark amber glass dropper top bottles

It’s a $35 value with fantastic organic herbs, organic olive oil, and useful bottles! Just enter below using the Rafflecopter tool. US residents only, age 18 and above.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

How would you use mullein in your own home?

References

Fritchey, Philip. Practical Herbalism. Whitman Publications, Warsaw, Indiana. 2004. (found here).

Hawkins, Jessie. Botanical Medicine in the Home. Vintage Remedies, Franklin, Tennessee. 2013. (found here).

Hoffman, David. Medicinal Herbalism. Healing Arts Press, Rochester, Vermont. 2003. (found here).

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