by Gretchen Gould
Excerpted from the NEHA Journal, Winter 2002 edition

Since I started making Herb Hill Amazing Grease Products nine years ago, mullein flower has gradually gained stature and importance as a pain reliever in the Herb Hill family of plants. Consequently, it has become necessary to collect ever more of the flowers as the years go by. Sometimes I would be lucky enough to find multi-branched plants with big, bright yellow flowers more than an inch in diameter that would practically fall off the stems into my gathering basket, providing much bulk. At other times, especially in the dry sandy soil of Herb Hill, the flowers would be pale yellow, deeply recessed into the flower stem, so that picking had to be done with fingernails to pry them out. It would take several days of picking to procure even a pint of flower oil.

It was a no-brainer to conclude that I was working with two different species of Verbascum, but only this summer did I take the time to do research that explains the differences. To be honest, I didn’t care much about the differences as long as my own private stash of big-flowered mullein behind the Caldor Store in Poughkeepsie remained untouched by hands other than mine. Then last summer disaster hit in the form of a construction company that demolished the Caldor and put up a new Super Stop and Shop in its place. In the process they demolished my stand of mullein, as well.

So, this summer I was on the lookout for a new supply of big-flowered mullein, and by chance I found it on June 24th, as I was driving home from an herbal fair. It was far enough off the road to avoid pollution, and even at 5:30 in the evening, enough of the bright yellow flowers remained on the stems to assure me I had found the coveted species. I stopped the car, filled my hat to the brim with closed flowers and resolved to return the next morning when a new crop of flowers would open for picking.Once home, I turned to An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada by Britton and Brown in an effort to solve once and forever the mullein mystery. I found the following entries:

1. Verbascum thapsus L. Great Mullein. Velvet or Mullein Dock. Erect, stout, simple or with some erect branches, densely woolly all over with branched hairs; stem 2’ – 7’ high, wing-angled by the bases of the decurrent leaves. ( Decurrent describes leaf bases that extend down the stem past their point of insertion, forming a wing on the stem.) Leaves, oblong, thick, acute, narrowed at the base, dentate or denticulate, 4”-12” long; the basal ones borne on marginal petioles; flowers yellow, sessile, numerous in dense elongated spikes, rarely branched above; stamens unequal, the three upper shorter with white hairy filaments and short anthers, the two lower glabrous or nearly so with larger anthers, etc.

2. Verbascum phlomoides L. Clasping Leaf Mullein. (also referred to in other books as Orange Mullein) Stem rather stout, usually simple, 1’to 4’ high. (This was the only inconsistency, as I’ve found the stems to be higher in many cases.) Leaves oblong to ovate lanceolate, crenate, (describing a leaf margin that has rounded projections), or entire, woolly-tomentose on both sides, sessile or somewhat clasping, or slightly decurrent on the stem; flowers yellow or cream-colored, 1” broad or more; (this is what convinced me that this was the larger species of mullein) usually in a solitary elongated tomentose spike-like raceme;etc.

In addition to the descriptions, the accompanying illustrations were consistent with what I had observed to be large and small flowered mullein. So, I came to the conclusion that the small-flowered plant was Verbascum thapsus, and the large-flowered species was V. phlomoides. Wanting to be absolutely sure, however, I studied the plants carefully over the next several days, as I picked flowers in the late June heat.

Most of the V. phlomoides were branched at the top, while the V. thapsus growing nearby usually only had one flower spike, as described in the book. Apparently V. thapsus will branch out if it’s growing in fertile soil. Fertile soil, however, is not mullein’s natural habitat. It likes rocky places and disturbed soil, tending to be one of the first plants to colonize in the latter. It’s light seeds are easily dispersed by the wind, so if ground is bulldozed one summer, look for a mullein stand to appear two years later. It takes two years because mullein is a biennial, forming its basal rosette the first year, which won’t be that noticeable from afar. The second year, the stem shoots up, the plant flowers and bears its seed.

I haven’t noticed that V. phlomoides clasps the stems any more vigorously than V. thapsus. All the upper leaves of both plants are sessile, growing close to the stem, so they appear to clasp it. Another name for the Clasping Mullein, however, is Orange Mullein, which I found in another book. That explains the more vibrant color of the flowers on V. phlomoides. ( Mother Nature mixed a little orange in with the yellow paint.)

In Nico Vermeulens Encyclopaedia of Herbs I found some interesting uses for all the species of mullein that were listed. These also included Dark Mullein (V. nigrum), Hungarian Mullein (V. speciosum), and Dense-flowered Mullein (V. densiflorum). This book mentioned that mullein species easily hybridize making identification difficult. However, all Verbascum species have the same medicinal properties!

The plant contains saponins, making it useful as an expectorant. Other substances are bactericidal, so that the herb can be used to treat throat infections, bronchial ailments, tonsillitis, and infections of the stomach and intestines. The flowers can be used to cleanse wounds, stem infection and soothe nerve pain. The calming action of the oil is beneficial for sinus pain or earache, but of course, we knew about earache already! In homeopathy it is prescribed for all of the above ailments, as well as a remedy for children who continue to wet their beds as they grow older.

The entire plant can be used to make dye for coloring wool and other textiles yellow, orange, or brown. In the past, the leaves were smoked for asthma and bronchitis, and as a substitute for tobacco. The long, dried, seed spikes were dipped in tallow for use as torches, and the woolly hairs were combed to make wicks for oil lamps. The leaves also contain substances that prevent fish from breathing through their gills, thus driving them to the surface. Southern Europeans took advantage of this to catch fish in lakes and ponds. The woolly leaves were rubbed on the cheeks of young maidens whose religion forbid the use of make up, hence the name Quaker rouge was given to mullein by early settlers.

When using mullein leaves in tea, it is necessary to strain the tea through a cloth to prevent the tiny hairs from entering the beverage and sticking in the drinker’s throat.

I find mullein is a useful ingredient in salves for relaxation and pain relief, and over the years have used it in several successful formulas. I made a simple salve of mullein for my own use and was delighted to find that it worked well as an instant reliever of pain for small cuts and booboos, and was also an effective rub for sore muscles and relaxation. I partially tore a ligament in my leg in April digging a drainage ditch for the well on Herb Hill, and was in pain for many weeks. I found that mullein salve rubbed on my throbbing leg at bedtime brought welcome relief from the pain, as well as somniferous bliss after a short period of time.

One final note: pick mullein flowers before noon, as they tend to close up early on sunny days and fall off the plants. Mullein puts out fresh flowers every day, the same as St. John’s wort, and those are the flowers that should be used. You can pick the same plants several days in a row until you’ve obtained the amount of flower that you need.

I’ve heard that to by-pass the intense picking time some herbalists cut the whole flowering stem off of a plant, whirling it in a blender with olive oil to make their mullein oil. What a horrifying end that would be for such a lofty and useful plant! Not only would the flower oil be diluted with, stems, buds, and tiny hairs, this method would prevent the plant from making seed to propagate the species. This practice should certainly be discouraged and the cultivation of V. phlomoides encouraged to supply medicinal mullein oil.

In summation of my research, it appears that any of the Verbascum species could stand up and be counted as the real mullein, for they all contain the same wonderful healing qualities. For ease and speed of picking, however, I recommend hunting down or trying to cultivate Verbascum phlomoides, the Orange or Clasping Mullein. I shall try transferring some seed from one of the plants to Herb Hill this year to see if I can get it interested in growing there. Check with me in two years for a success report!