mullein is probably the most common plant in the bio region in which i reside. so naturally getting to know this plant friend was a good idea. mullein is in the figwort plant family and all parts of the plant are useful, except the seeds do contain a potentially toxic substance rotenone.
mullein is a biennial plant, which means it lives for two years and then it’s done. the first year it makes a basal rosette along the ground, like the picture above. the second year it shoot up a stalk, like the picture below.
energetically speaking the leaves and flowers are cooling and moistening while the roots are warming and drying. mullein is an inflammatory modulator…….what is that you say? this is a direct quote from pubmed.gov
the anti-inflammatory cytokines are a family of peptides that modulate the pro-inflammatory cytokine response. cytokines act in concert with non-cytokine mediators, such as prostaglandin E2, glucocorticosteroids, lipocortins, and catecholamines.
mullein is also a demulcent and lymphatic system nourisher. it’s extremely helpful for people suffering from dry coughs and asthma.
there are so many herbal remedies to prepare with mullein. i am mainly going to focus on drying and tincture making in this post. although i have made the mullein flower ear oil when my children were younger. i highly recommend experimenting with that if you have children susceptible to earaches. drying the mullein leaves is fairly easy, but again drying also depends on the climate in which you live in. i do live in a dry climate, this process might not work if your climate is damp. you will just have to monitor closely for mold.
i like to simply string up the leaves on a needle and thread, i pierce the thick rib down the middle and string them up. you will need to use a thicker thread, button cord or something like that.
i am drying as much as i can, so i can make nourishing herbal infusions with them. susan weed has a lot of info on nourishing herbal infusion. she has a youtube channel and i can’t recommend her books enough especially healing wise. i go into great detail on the tincture making in my latest video on mullein. so if that interests you, please check it out.
this tincture isn't ready for purchase yet, but i am considering adding it to the shop. anyway, i hope you all are getting out there and harvesting the last of autumn's goodness to be enjoyed all winter long. mullein has so much to offer and i hope i have inspired you to get to know her, it's not too late to harvest in most areas. mullein is an extremely hardy plant. however, make sure the area in which you are harvesting hasn't been sprayed or is a toxic site. mullein picks up heavy metals from the soil, so although this is important for all plants it's especially important for mullein. mullein is a cleanup plant so to speak and it often likes to grow on roadsides and old abandoned lots and fields that could have previously had a leaky car, heavy machinery, stuff like that contaminating the soil. thanks for being here and feel free to reach out with questions or comments.
i do offer this tincture and many more over at simplyjosephine.com
some resources:
healing wise, by susun weed https://www.wisewomanbookshop.com/
wild remedies, by rosealee de la foret & emily han https://wildremediesbook.com/
mulling over mullein with yarrow willard https://yarrowwillard.com/videos/