Mighty Large-Flowered Mullein in the Garden

In short: Great mullein (Verbascum densiflorum) is a biennial herb grown from seed, sown April to June at 60 × 60 cm spacing, reaching up to 2 m in its second year. Flowers are picked in the morning and dried out of direct sun; tea uses 1 tablespoon per 250 ml, steeped 10 to 15 minutes.

Great mullein (Verbascum densiflorum) is one of the oldest medicinal herbs known. It is widespread throughout Europe. We prepare tea from it, which helps with respiratory tract diseases associated with severe barking cough, bronchitis, laryngitis and asthma. Mullein flowers and roots were also used in the past for diarrheal diseases, cramps of various origins, and were applied to bruises. Mullein has very universal uses.

The best-known species include: Orange mullein, Black mullein, Small-flowered mullein, etc.

Mullein in history

Mullein was already known as a magical herb in ancient times. In ancient Greece, it is said to have protected the hero Odysseus from the magic of the goddess Circe, who turned his crew into pigs. It was also known as a torch. In the Middle Ages, Hildegard of Bingen describes mullein in her works as wullenu - meaning full flower - and recommends using it as an effective remedy for the lungs and colds. She says: "But even if someone is hoarse in voice and throat and their chest hurts, let them boil mullein and fennel in equal amounts in good wine, strain through a cloth and drink often, and their voice will return and their chest will heal." In our country, people in the past called it "king's candle" because of its beauty and decorativeness, but also because they made candle wicks from it. At the same time, bakers used to light their ovens with the flowering stem of mullein. It was once also added to herbal tobacco to beneficially affect asthma and tuberculosis. In Bohemia, mullein is linked to the legend of the god Perun, to whom the plant was dedicated. Mullein is understood as a messenger of death - if this particular herb grew on the grave of the deceased, the deceased was in purgatory and could only be released from there by making a pilgrimage to a famous place. At the same time, anyone who believed in enchantment should wash themselves with a decoction prepared from mullein to get rid of evil spirits. Old Native American tribes used a mixture of mullein to wake people from fainting.

Folk names for great mullein are emperor's candle, cow's tail, old woman's ear.

Growing Mullein in the Garden

Large-flowered mullein (lat. Verbascum densiflorum) is a biennial robust herb that grows to impressive heights, reaching up to 2m in its second year of growth. It belongs to the figwort family. The plant prefers protected sunny locations - we find it in clearings, mountain roads, meadows, pastures and wasteland. Mullein thrives in well-drained soil poor in nutrients or limestone substrate. We sow mullein in herb gardens. We grow it from seeds, which are also available in our e-shop. Indoor cultivation of mullein is not suitable. The most suitable months for sowing its seeds are April - June. We grow mullein with spacing of 60 cm x 60 cm. Its stem and leaves are covered with fine hairs that protect the plant from drying out, insects and animals. The stem is upright and densely leafy.

The leaves are felted in the first year of growth and form a rosette, in the second year they grow on the stem. The leaves are oblong, positioned on the stem. The blades run down to the next alternate leaf. The hairs on the leaves irritate mucous membranes and are highly flammable. The large-flowered mullein plant has bright yellow sessile flowers that bloom from summer to autumn. They grow at the end of the stem in a very dense racemose arrangement, emphasizing the massiveness of the entire plant. They bloom very briefly - one day in the evening there is only a bud on the plant, overnight the flower blooms and the next day in the afternoon it gradually fades. Mullein flowers smell like honey. Its fruit is a multi-seeded capsule. After seed dispersal, the plant dies.

We harvest mullein flowers in the first year - ideally in the morning, when the dew has evaporated. We try to dry the harvested flowers and leaves as quickly as possible, however drying them in the sun is unsuitable. We also avoid artificial heat. It is important that the dried mullein flowers retain their yellow color. Dried leaves can also be used as natural herbal tobacco.

Mullein for Coughs

Mullein flower contains saponins, yellow dye crocetin, mucilaginous substances, 3% bitter substances, hesperidin, essential oil, carotene, coumarin and other substances.

For coughs (including whooping cough), mullein flower helps. It relieves spasms in bronchial inflammation, acts on inflamed mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, treats acute and chronic bronchitis, throat mucosa inflammation. It helps in treating laryngitis and asthma. It is also applied for urinary tract infections, loss of appetite and irregular menstruation. We also use it in tea blends with other herbs such as plantain, primrose, hyssop, thyme, oregano or basil.

In folk medicine, poultices made from fresh mullein leaves are used for various swellings, rheumatic and muscle pains, superficial ulcers, hemorrhoids and more. It can be used long-term.

Our Grandmothers' Mullein Recipes

• Mullein Tea

Prepare it by adding 1 tablespoon of dried mullein flowers to 250 ml of boiling water, steep for 10-15 minutes, then strain. Drink several cups of tea daily. Tea made from mullein leaves must be strained through cloth or a fine sieve to remove the irritating hairs.

• Mullein Decoction

According to our grandmothers, a mullein decoction was used for feverish illnesses accompanied by severe irritating cough. It promotes sweating and "gets you back on your feet". Prepare it from two tablespoons of the mixture, pour approximately 500 ml of boiling water over it, let it steep for 10 minutes and strain.

• Mullein Oil

Used for earaches. Prepare mullein oil by pouring 100 ml of olive oil into a glass bottle and adding a handful of mullein flowers. Place the prepared mixture in the bottle outside in a sunny spot and shake regularly. After 3-4 weeks, strain the oil and it's ready to use when needed.

• As Part of Cosmetics

Mullein flowers are added to creams and masks to soften and smooth the skin. A strong decoction from the plant can be used to rinse naturally light hair to give it more shine.

• As Decoration

The mullein stalk can be dipped in tallow and used as a candle. The flowering tops of the plant can be used for arranging dried bouquets.

• As Liqueur Flavouring

Its flowers are used to flavour liqueurs.