Mullein vs. demons and catarrh
My first awareness of mullein (Verbascum thapsus) occurred in southeastern Washington. I lived in the bunkhouse of a Jolly Green Giant cannery, and the El Paso contingent on the other side of the basement learned of the age-old legend that laying mullein leaves in small pools would narcotize fish so they could be harvested by hand. El Paso interpreted this to mean they could dry the leaves and smoke them for the narcotic effect.
Along roadsides we would see tall, denuded mullein plants as boxes of the leaves cured under bunks, but the El Paso experiment faded fast. Mullein leaves apparently failed to bring the anticipated euphoria, but another of mullein’s fabled benefits – warding away demons and dark spirits – did work as advertised.
My second encounter with mullein was very different. My father was buried in a quiet, rural cemetery just north of Hampton, Arkansas, and as we were leaving that day, I noticed tall, stately mulleins standing like sentinels beside each gate post telling me, “Go home in peace; we got this.” Mullein became a totem plant for me immediately.
Mullein grows wild in waste places all over North America except northern Canada. It originated around the Mediterranean Sea, but it spread itself with human help as far north as Norway and as far east as the Himalayas and even to Australia. The seeds are durable and might last decades. Mullein has accompanied humans since ancient times and was even reported to be the herb Odysseus carried to protect himself from the sorceress Circe who had turned his companions into pigs.
Far less dramatic were other reasons folks through history used mullein. Dried leaves were fashioned into lamp wicks, and the top of the tall stalk was dipped in tallow and used as a torch.
One of its common names was lungwort because mullein tea has been an herbal remedy for respiratory complaints. It soothes the throat and eases the spasms that cause coughing. You might want to strain the tea to sift out tiny spines that might irritate internal parts.
Mullein flower capsules are marketed as a demulcent to help clear the lungs and soothe any irritation. The flowers also contain an oil used to treat earaches. Some herbalists claim compounds in mullein protect against flu viruses, and the dried leaves can be burned in saunas to ease congestion. Experiments by scientists in lab coats show mullein to have anti-inflammatory properties in addition to keeping demons away.
All of these medicinal uses from a plant that is often the first to sprout in waste areas, abandoned fields and along railroad tracks. It has been stated a sure sign of a neglected homestead is mullein plants scattered around.
Mullein starts as a rosette of large, soft velvety green-gray leaves, and eventually a strong central stalk which might reach six feet high emerges. The leaves are a delight to work with because they easily handle being rinsed and dried, and they feel like pieces of flannel or velvet.
The variety around here has yellow flowers covering half the stalk, but the tiny flowers bloom at different times. Nevertheless, mullein plants are striking because of their height and the large soft leaves. They were interesting enough companions for smaller plants that Claude Monet purposefully included them in his gardens at Giverny.
They can sprout almost anywhere but do not tolerate competition. Farmers might consider them a pest although they are easy to control. Harvested leaves are useful in compost piles or crumbled up as mulch in garden beds.
One downside of mullein is the leaves and flowers can serve as hosts to insects which might harm nearby plants.
Nevertheless, mullein is a wasteland herb which eases catarrh, clears the lungs, relieves earaches, and most important, keeps sorceresses under control.