The thick, soft leaves are made into a tea to treat respiratory illness by loosening congestion and helping clear the lungs. Mullein is a native plant to Europe, Asia and North Africa and has around 300 species . Mullein oil is potent disinfectant that can treat both internal and external infections. Mullein oil can cure ear pain and is good for curing eczema; hemorrhoids and wounds. Plant Parts Used: It is the mullein leaves and flowers that are used medicinally. But if you do your homework and find out more about this unusual-looking plant, you'll discover that it's far more than just a furry-leafed weed. Biological activity of common mullein, a medicinal plant. A passage from Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States: Mullein is a mild remedy that influences two main areas: the lungs and the urinary tract. You can use most of the plant, including the root. Mullein may have gotten its name from a Celtic term meaning yellow or a Latin word that means soft thanks to the fuzzy-looking yellow blossoms that crown the stalk. Mullein Plant Medicinal Uses. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). Mullein flowers from November through March and is considered by many agricultural businesses to be a weed and more of a nuisance than anything. The plant is regarded as “cool”and bears a flavor akin to salted vanilla. The mullein plant is a biennial plant, which means it flowers every two years. Large, fresh mullein leaves can be used to develop poultices to treat joint pain or gout. The leaves are also dried to brew a tea which is used to remove mucus from the lungs. Most people consider it a nuisance, but there is so much more to the plant! Many of the Gnaphalium species are look-alikes, so it is hard to tell which exact species this is just from a visual inspection. The Way of Herbs . Mullein is usually a medicinal plant, and its lower leaves have been used for toilet paper for a long time. This plant has two other names in the botanical world: the common mullein, and the great mullein. Here are some of the common uses of the mullein plant. ---Medicinal Action and Uses---The Mullein has very markedly demulcent, emollient and astringent properties, which render it useful in pectoral complaints and bleeding of the lungs and bowels. This dicotyledonous plant produces a rosette of leaves in its first year of growth. Native Americans used to smoke the dried leaves of mullein plant, as a herbal remedy for diseases of the respiratory system. Medicinal Purposes of Mullein. Mullein is a biennial plant, meaning that it lives two years. The common mullein, found throughout the United States, is a woolly-leafed biennial plant. My great grandmother used to make a cough syrup out of it, and it was a thought that fresh leaves were the best. Many of mullein’s traditional medicinal uses were similar throughout the Old and New World, but whether European settlers learned to use the herb from Native Americans or vice versa is open to debate. Common Mullein has been used medicinally for centuries. Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. www.theforagerspath.com: Plant Profile: Mullein Leaf & Mullein Root Moore, Michael (2003). The mullein leaf and the flowers of the plant are used in tinctures, syrups, oils, and even used to gargle. Mullein is an attractive flowering landscape plant with a rich history as an herbal remedy. Mullein plant was used for numerous different types of medicinal purposes ever since the times of ancient Greece. In the first year, it grows into a large rosette of oblong, thick, and fuzzy green-gray leaves . Potent Disinfectant. Great Mullein is an easily grown medicinal plant, it succeeds in most well-drained soils, including dry ones, and prefers a sunny position. Tinctures – Mullein Root can also be used in infusions or tinctures, to treat pain, joint pain, Rheumatism, and a … For a plant that typically shows up in dry, barren places, mullein has impressive medicinal properties. Although it … Mullein Uses, Benefits & Dosage - Drugs.com Herbal Database Anthelmintic and relaxant activities of Verbascum thapsus Mullein. Great Mullein is a versatile herb; it can be applied, drunk, smoked or inhaled for medicinal purposes. Mullein tea is good for stopping nonstop coughing. 2 thoughts on “ Medicinal uses of Verbascum ” Leslie Benjamin February 28, 2016 at 10:13 pm. The Antioxidant, Anticarcinogenic and Antimicrobial Properties of Verbascum Thapsus L The medicinal plant V. thapsus L. can be used for the treatment of different diseases, such as cancer and infectious diseases. Mullein is known botanically as Verbascum thapus. McCutcheon AR, Roberts TE, Gibbons E, et al. Medicinal Properties Of Mullein Plant. Mullein Medicinal Uses. Uses . More recently the leaves were smoked in an attempt to treat lung ailments. Benefits of Mullein: Harvesting Tips. Medicinal Uses of Mullein Root in Medical Herbalism Vol. It dislikes shade and wet soils. Mullein Plant Ear Oil. Verbascum sinuatum, commonly known as the scallop-leaved mullein, the wavyleaf mullein, or Candela regia, is a species of perennial herbaceous plants in the genus Verbascum (mullein), growing in heavy soils in Central Asia and the Mediterranean region.It grows to 1.2–1.5 m (3.9–4.9 ft). In the spring of the second year, the plant develops a tall stem that can grow to 1.2 m or more in height. Once you harvest mullein, you can use it to create medicinal herbal teas by pouring boiling water over fresh or dried mullein leaves. Besides using mullein leaf and flower teas to treat respiratory problems, some Native Americans also used the plant… Mullein has a long history of medicinal uses, so speak to a certified herbalist to help you figure out how to use yours. The plant is self-fertile. 12 Number 2, pg. Mullein plant is very efficient in the prevention and treatment of numerous different types of lung disorders. The herb has potential healing abilities, however it is important to harvest the leaves, roots and flowers at appropriate times in their life cycle to yield the maximum benefits, The leaves are used to treat respiratory disorders and ailments. Fresh mullein leaves are also used for … The first step to making herbal preparations is harvesting the desired part at the right time. The Mullein’s plant towering flower stalk with golden yellow flowers can be seen presiding over fields and open spaces throughout most of the world. All but the seeds of the plant are utilized medicinally and some of the uses are rooted in folk herbal medicine. The plant flowers from November to March. It is hardy to zone (UK) 3 and is not frost tender. I looked this herb up as it is a primary ingredient in a healing salve I was given by a friend (which also included St. John’s wort, olive oil, cannabis, organic olive oil, and local beeswax). J Ethnopharmacol 2002;82:117-25. The leaf tea/syrup is soothing to inflamed mucus membranes of the lungs, particularly those of the bronchi and trachea. 3. Outer leaves can be quite large while inner leaves are half the size, growing close to the ground . Today I want to teach you about mullein, a common plant that grows pretty tall, about 6 or 7 feet. Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus L.) is a medicinal plant readily found in roadsides, meadows and pasture lands and has been used to treat pulmonary problems, inflammatory diseases, asthma, spasmodic coughs, diarrhoea and migraine headaches. Antiviral screening of British Columbian medicinal plants. 1-15 Tierra, Michael (1980). It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. We've all probably seen this plant on hunts and hikes, and thought, "That's one fuzzy leaf." Due to its prolific seed generation, it has earned a reputation as an invasive weed in most urban gardens. Verbascum thapsus is a BIENNIAL growing to 1.8 m (6ft) at a fast rate. View abstract. View abstract. The second year plant normally produces a single unbranched stem. It can be found in all 50 states of America. Around 2000 years ago the Greek physician Dioscorides recommended using the plant for lung diseases. The whole plant seems to possess slightly sedative and narcotic properties. This is terrific! University of Texas-El Paso's website with herb fact sheets give additional information about Gnaphalium's medicinal uses and adds the common name 'mexican mullein'. Turker AU, Camper ND. Because mullein is a biennial plant (taking two years to complete its life cycle), leaves and roots can be harvested at the end of the first and beginning of the second year, while flowers can only be harvested from the second year. The Mullein plant is a medicinal root found in the United States, mainly in Michigan. To support our efforts please browse our store (books with medicinal info, etc.). Masek, Mike (2014). The common name Mullein is a derivation of the Latin word ‘Mollis’ which means soft and refers to the texture of the leaves. Mullein tea and infusions are said to be good for relief from dry cough, bronchitis, other respiratory problems, and sore throat. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a plant that can grow up to more than 2 meters and it is easy to find around since it grows pretty much everywhere. Its leafs are fluffy and hairy (which can irritate the throat when drank). When it is grown as an herbal remedy, every part of the mullein plant is usable at different times during its life cycle. Many herbalists recommend warmed mullein ear oil for earaches in children: steep both opened flowers and flower buds in oil for several weeks and apply drops into the ears. It has soft fuzzy leaves as well as gorgeous yellow flowers towering at the top. Sinadinos, Christa (2009). Its name is mullein ( Verbascum thapsus ), and this plant offers more than a dozen uses. For a “weed” it has amazing medicinal benefits and practical uses that have been utilized for centuries. Scatter Mullein … Infusions – Mullein Medicinal Uses include the use of infusions, such as teas, to support lung health plus benefit from the calcium and magnesium contained in the plant. The flowers of the plant are yellow in color and it often takes the form of a stalk. Mullein is a soft (almost velvet-like) biennial that can grow very tall. 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