(more pics)
mullein
Verbascum thapsus;
V. olympicum
Mullein is an easily recognizable plant
found in fields, meadows, and anywhere
the ground has been disturbed in a wide array of habitats. It is a biennial, putting
forth a rosette of fuzzy leaves upon the ground the first
year, and sending up its characteristically tall yellow flowered
stalk the second. After seeding, the plant dies. The dead
brown stalk is an excellent indicator of where to look for
first year rosettes, as they can often be found within
15-20 feet from the dead stalk. All parts of the
plant offer an abundance of healing medicine.
Mullein leaves are the most commonly used part of the plant;
easily identifiable
and among the first remedies to be thought of in treating
stuck congestion associated with dry coughs, as they are an excellent
moistening expectorant. A gentle
demulcent, mullein leaf aids the lungs in expelling
drier mucus and phlegm by loosening it from the walls of the
lungs and allowing it to be coughed up. Because of
this, mullein may actually initiate coughing, even though that's the symptom being
treated. What mullein is really doing here is assisting the
body's natural response to congestion - coughing - to be
more effective. Rather than coughing and coughing
and coughing unproductively, mullein will get you
coughing stuff up and out. When the coughing
resolves, it's because the need to cough has been
resolved, not because mullein acts in any way to
suppress coughing. Mullein is
especially good for treating hard, dry coughs that shake the
frame of the body (often leaving the chest/ribs sore), and should be
considered whenever one hears a hollow wheeze in a cough. A strong tea, the tincture,
or syrups that include mullein can achieve this end. I
often use a blend of mullein and plantain leaves when
either mucus has dried out in the lungs, or when fine,
dry inhaled irritants (dust, smoke, etc) form a "film"
over lung tissue. Mullein combines
well with myriad other herbs: marshmallow to increase its
moisture even more,
new england aster for
quivering, spasmodic lungs and asthma, a bit of lobelia for
more intense coughing spasms,
wild lettuce if the uppermost reaches of the lungs feel
dry and tight... I could go on and on. Although
mullein is preferable for drier coughs, it is a gentle
herb and usually will not aggravate damper coughs,
especially if used with more appropriate warming
aromatic herbs like osha, angelica, hyssop, sage or
thyme.
Mullein leaf has a tradition of being smoked for
respiratory issues as well, but smoking any herb
limits its indications, and in the case of mullein, it
changes them. ALL smokes are drying (because the
inhaled ashes of the herb you burn have no moisture left
in them, and will absorb moisture from the lung tissues
they come into contact with) and hot (because you lit
them on fire). So, smoked mullein is no
longer indicated for dry coughs; it can indeed
significantly aggravate them and interfere with the
important immunological role that mucus plays by keeping
it dry. Instead, smokes may be useful in some
cases for wetter/damper congestion, giving it more body
which allows it to be more easily coughed up and
expectorated. I learned from herbalist Joyce
Wardwell that mullein smoke can sometimes significantly
ease the tension and spasm of whooping cough. In
most cases, whisps of smoke are better than tokes.
Burning mullein leaf and wafting the smoke to the person
needing to inhale it is less irritating than smoking it
directly out of a pipe or joint, and can be equally or
more effective.
Mullein leaves are, of course, also commonly used in
smoking blends... not to address respiratory issues, but
just because people like to smoke plants. Many
will say that smoking anything is inherently bad for
you, though I think a good case can be made that this is
a cultural prejudice. Mullein leaf really doesn't
have a lot of flavor, and is used largely because it
burns so well, and can help a blend that mixes harder
roots and barks with softer, faster burning leaves smoke
more evenly. If smoking for pleasure (or for
ceremony), do try to keep your smoke blend just a wee
bit moist; bone dry herbs are a harsher smoke. An
apple slice in you mix for a bit can moisten it up.
Also, smoke blend tip: Don't just mix a bunch of
aromatic herbs into mullein leaf and expect it to be
good. Smokes need body, and
the plants that adds body to smoke
blends are astringents.
Though seemingly rarely utilized for the purpose,
mullein leaf has also been revered as a lymphatic herb. Folk herbalist Tommie
Bass says it can be applied as a compress to any instance
of glandular swelling. The physiomedicalist
William
Cook called mullein an "absorbent" of "peculiar and
reliable power." He recommended mullein leaves be made
into a strong decoction, and that used to wet more leaves
which were then applied externally over the
swelling. These lymphatic virtues reside in the root
and flowers as well, and my preference is to use the
flowers when focusing on the lymph and glandular
swellings... more on that below.
Another mullein leaf use, combined with a warning: A LOT
of people refer to large, fuzzy mullein leaves as
potential toilet paper, but this may not be such a good
use to explore. You see, a common folk name for
mullein is "Quaker rouge", based on a use in which
Quakers, not allowed to wear make-up, would rub their
cheeks with the leaves to create a rosy "blush" effect.
Why would that be? It's because those hairs, which
superficially feel rather soft, are actually somewhat
irritating to the skin (and more to some people than
others), and the "blush" effect is the result of the
inflammation of irritated tissues. My suggestion
is that before you rub them on your nethers, try rubbing
them on the inside of our wrist or elbow. If, in
10 or 20 minutes, it's all red and itchy, you'll be very
happy you didn't try it on your crotch first.
Mullein's fuzzy "hairs" can sometimes be irritating to
the throat and GI tissues of some people even in teas
and tinctures. While this is not super common, it
does happen, so I usually recommend straining mullein
leaf preparations through a paper coffee filter.
Tincture making tip: People say that because
mullein leaf is so fluffy, you can't make a
1:2
tincture with it because the menstruum won't
cover the leaves. But, if you use the
right amount of leaf to an
appropriately sized jar, you absolutely can.
Start off with 10 ounces of chopped fresh mullein leaf,
and cram it into a quart jar... it may take some
packing. Then add 20 ounces of high proof vodka or
ethanol. You want the alcohol covering the herb
and right up to the lip of the jar. If there's
still headroom, you can try adding another half ounce of
dried leaf and another ounce of alcohol. As soon
as its filled to the brim, you're golden. This 1:2
tincture of mullein leaf isn't really "stronger" (as in:
more effective) than a folk style tincture where you
just fill and pour, but it is more concentrated,
so there's more mullein extractives and virtues in each
drop.
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(pic by Traci Picard)
The flowers of mullein are likewise an
important and exquisite remedy.
An infused oil of mullein flowers is perhaps one of the
first remedies to think of in treating an ear infection,
easing pain and speeding recovery time. I think that
mullein flower is specifically anti-inflammatory,
analgesic and helps to move congested lymph when applied
topically. Because the flowers are quite tiny, about the
size of a kernel of corn, you'll need to have access to
plenty of plants, and use a small jar so you're able to fill
it (or you can grow Verbascum olympicum, which
yields both more and larger flowers). The oil is simple
to prepare: Find an abundance of flowering mullein, pick
the flowers (be merciful to the little critters so often
found in them!), let them wilt to reduce
their moisture content (too much water can ruin infused
oils) and let said critters escape. You can put the
wilted flowers in a small mason jar filled to the brim with oil
out in the
sun for a few weeks, but because, even wilted, the flowers
want to hold on to their moisture I prefer to
extract them in a double boiler
for a couple/few days... this is faster, and in my
experience leads to a better oil. Once it's
strained out, this oil can be applied with a dropper or Q-tip and allowed to
work its magic, but never apply any kind of oil if the ear
drum is perforated. Mullein flower oil is often combined with
infused garlic oil, which is strongly antimicrobial, for
ear infections, and any number of other plants could be
added to compliment this duo (I like to add infused
poplar bud oil for additional anti-inflammatory and pain
relieving qualities). I've also used mullein
flower oil topically to help resolve glandular
swellings, and to treat infected
piercings; perhaps combine it here with saint john's wort
and plantain oils. It can be used to
treat ear mites in animals as well. The flower oil has an old
reputation for treating deafness, though I suspect this assertion
likely refers to problems arising from the accumulation
of wax, where the warm oil helps to clear this obstruction,
or swelling of the ear canal, which its lymph moving
properties might help to resolve. Prepared as a tincture
and used both internally and topically,
mullein flowers lymphatic action can also act to resolve swellings and ease the
accompanying pain. I have used a combination of red
root and
mullein flower tinctures to treat an abscess in the ear canal,
and ease the pain and swelling. I've used the same combination, along
with ground ivy, to successfully resolve
Meniere's
Disease that was just beginning to manifest. Mullein
flower, saint john's wort and jamaican dogwood tinctures
have notably eased hypersensitive facial nerve pain in
some people I've worked with. Occasionally (and
seemingly more common in those of a hot/dry/choleric
constitution) mullein flower tincture can also be mildly or even strongly
relaxant, but I don't have my head wrapped fully around
this.
Though it has been used in various
traditions, few people know about using mullein root for
anything... and yet, it is an incredibly useful remedy;
one of the most important in my practice. As far
as I know, it was herbalist Michael Moore who introduced
it as a remedy for treating urinary incontinence or
loss of urinary control; he suggests that
it tones and strengthens the trigone sphincter at the base
of the bladder. Northern California herbalist Christa Sinadinos elaborates
on this usage: "Mullein root is valuable as a
bladder tonifying agent for the treatment of urinary
incontinence (loss of urine with out warning.) It
strengthens and improves the tone of the trigone muscle (a
triangular area at the base of the bladder) and
significantly enhances bladder function. It has soothing
diuretic properties; it increases the volume of
urination, while decreasing the frequency of urination.
Mullein root also has mild astringent properties which
reduce inflammation in the mucosa of the bladder.
It does not irritate or over stimulate bladder or kidney
function. Mullein root can be used as a long term
tonic for individuals with urinary incontinence,
recurring bladder infections, interstitial cystitis, and
benign prostatic hypertrophy." Christa offers flat
out exceptional insights on this usage
here (please note that
pages 2 & 3 are mixed up). To potentiate it's
tonifying actions when addressing incontinence, I will
usually combine it with a bladder astringent such as
agrimony, wintergreen, or staghorn sumach leaves, stems
and berries.
Like mullein flower, mullein's root also seems to allay
some types of nerve pain, and can be helpful as a
possible treatment for Bell's Palsy, an indication
shared by David Winston. I use it primarily for
facial and spinal-based nerve pain, usually in some
larger formula which might include saint john's wort,
sweet clover (Melilotus), prickly ash, and/or jamaican
dogwood. Both topical and internal use seems to
yield the best results.
But perhaps the thing I most use mullein root for is to
facilitate "proper alignment" of the structural system,
and here I know of no other plant that acts as
virtuously. It may be that there are broken bones
I need to be sure line up (indication via Matthew Wood,
though he uses the leaves), but spinal misalignment is
my primary indication.
I can personally attest to mullein’s
usefulness in treating spinal injuries, as I’ve used it
for decades now. The first time I ever used it (and
before I knew it could be used this way), I woke up
with my back out. I couldn't stand up straight, and
while my mouth was saying, "Ow, ow, ow..." within me I
kept hearing "mullein root, mullein root, mullein
root..." droning over and over in my head.
After trying a bunch of other stuff, both herbal and
physical, I drove out to a field where I knew it
grew, and searched for it under the snow (mullein's fuzzy
leaves insulate it and it usually overwinters). I
found some, and as I was digging it up I "heard"
Mullein root stores up energy the entire first year of its
life to put forth its strong, straight yet flexible flower
stalk; and using it gives us access to that stored energy.
I chopped up a root, made tea, took a sip then a breath
and was completely better. Really.
A year or so after that (in which time
I'd used the root a few more times, always with rather
amazing results), I suffered the rather dreadful disc
herniation while, when changing a tire on the side of
a dirt road my jack slipped and I jumped back away from
the falling car with a heavy tire in my arms. Along
with really subtle Grostic chiropractic work, I used the rather agonizing experience
to figure out
how best to treat this condition. I
eventually ended up blending together a formula
with solomon’s seal, mullein root, horsetail and
the wee-est bit of goldenseal to excellent
results. This being a more significant injury the
effect was by no means immediate, but I could feel it
working every time I took it. This blend was created not so much
as a pain reliever, but to restore strength and integrity
to the disc, connective tissues and fascia. To address the attendant muscle
spasms (which were the worst part, in terms of outright
agony), I used a combination of black cohosh and arnica
tinctures, taken in frequent small doses to help ease
the sensitivity & reactivity of the muscles. The
results were excellent. I could literally feel the
disc growing stronger and the muscles relearning how to
be relaxed. Even now, numerous years later, if I
overdo it and feel even a twinge of sensitivity in the
disc, a few doses of some similar blend usually removes the discomfort.
It's truly kick ass stuff.
Mullein root on its own, though, is
also markedly effective. Prepared either as an infusion or taken in
small doses as a tincture, it has been a lifesaver for me
when working a bit too gung-ho has me wake up the next
morning with my back "kinked" and not quite able to
straighten up. I usually take about 7 drops of
tincture, stretch out a bit, and I can feel myself shift
back to alignment. It won't always work in one
magical dose (though sometimes does), so take more as
needed. While the occasions when this has
dramatically reduced discomfort
are too numerous to recount, it doesn't always
work... does anything? But most of the time I feel
that mullein is a key part in any blend for structural
alignment I create, and I've seen otherwise identical
blends be significantly less effective if mullein root
is omitted.
Over the years as I've been using and
praising it, countless others have found it useful as well.
In one past visit to Michigan, Matthew Wood and I were
talking about this little known use of mullein, and
comparing and contrasting his use of the leaves with my
use of the root. One of the participants, who,
though completely new to herbalism and perhaps a bit overwhelmed
by the onslaught of information, went the following week
to get some mullein (leaves; the root is quite hard to
find, commercially) and sent me an email another week
later, saying, "I've suffered with a herniated disc
(the one between the lumbar vertebrae and sacrum) since my
son was 15 months old. I ended up being on bed rest
on a cortisone "blast" for a week at that time. The
disc is really thin and the area has been fragile since
then. So, my back got really whacked out a couple of
weeks ago and I didn't want to go the Motrin route. I
purchased some mullein
tincture at my local health food haunt and by the time I
was half way to Commerce (from Ferndale) to pick my son up
my back was feeling so much better... The
mullein has been a
life saver." This is just
one story of so many that have been shared with me over
perhaps two decades (and incidentally, this person is a
fine herbalist now) . Mullein root is one of the
things I get the most email about, from people whose
injuries it turned around.
While I generally use the root as
opposed to the leaves of mullein for structural and
spinal alignment issues, I once had a remarkably lucid dream about how
the leaves could be picked proportionally along the
flowering stalk to the area along the spine that is
kinked. Try it.
Perhaps, as opposed to a physical complaint, the need for alignment
is more... esoteric: someone is scattered all over the place,
and needs to focus and direct their energies in a more
focused way. Mullein root may assist us in such a need. Try
carrying some around with you, in your purse, in your
pocket, in a medicine bag. Or take a few drops of
tincture. Or rub a bit into your wrists or heart or
temples.
These are all things I have direct knowledge and
personal experience with, and I've largely left out
things I've heard of but haven't tried (I've not yet
bruised mullein and let it blacken to see to what degree
that increases its pain relieving effects, or used
mullein seeds to poison fish, or used the stalk as a
drill to start friction fires...).
People think of some plants as "beginner plants"...
plants that you learn right off the bat when you start
getting into herbalism. Mullein is often seen as
such a plant, because it is both safe and gentle and
quite effective. But sometimes people then later
think things like "Yeah, I know mullein and what it
does...". What mullein has taught me is that we
can't just learn some superficial uses of a plant and
then think we "know" it, and if anyone is the beginner
in the relationship, it's me.
©
jim
mcdonald
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