Mullein

[Britesea]

Mullein is apparently the BEST cure for an earache that there is. No one in our family has ever had an earache so I've never used it for that purpose. I recently found out that a tea from the flowers is very good for a problem that besets many older women... urinary "urgency". The flowers are something of a pain to harvest, as typically only a half dozen or less flowers will open at a time- so it's easier if you find a large field of them growing in the wild rather than have one or two plants in the garden.

 

[Mini Horses]

There is a retired RR track next to me, full of mullein. I believe they only flower or seed at 2nd yr...? Trust me, there's several years of them out there!

 

[Britesea]

Yes, they are biennials. Also, the seeds are toxic so be careful!

 

[baymule]

Interesting: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mullein-tea#benefits-uses

So just like y'all said, respiratory, antiviral, antibacterial.

Are "flavorful" and "aromatic" code for disgusting?

My grandpa said it was bitter. As kids, he and his brother would get what was called spring fever. His mother would make them mullein tea, cover them with quilts and they would sweat it out. Looking back, he said they probably had malaria. Was it? Who knows.

 

[Alaskan]

I just watched a zoom wild crafting thing..


They said mullien diced up, put in strong vodka, wait 6 weeks (or longer of course), then a dropper full at a time for coughs and breathing issues.

 

[Britesea]

heads up though... mullein can interfere with some diabetic medications, so talk to someone about it first.

 

[Mini Horses]

Lot of it growing around here. So far, looks like nice soft leaves for outhouse.

 

[flowerbug]

Lot of it growing around here. So far, looks like nice soft leaves for outhouse.

i know there's already a plant called the money plant, but at the rate of TP price increases that name might change and get applied to mullein too...

 

[Medicine Woman]

I have only used it for coughs in two ways.
The first time was as a smoke additive. I mixed mullein, rose pedals and catnip with tobacco to decrease the amount of tobacco a smoker use and the next time use less and less tobacco until I was only using herbs or just make a cigarette with pure mullein to decongest someone. It freaked me out when I read that I can actually treat bronchitis or pneumonia with smoke.
The 2nd time was because my daughter told me she wanted us to make a cough syrup that tasted better than Tussin. She was still a half grown child but she knew I had been preparing remedies and when she asked me I ordered a gallon of glycerin syrup so I could make remedies for children. I gave her a quart size mason jar and got her to fill it with dried mullein and covered with the syrup. We labeled it and everyday my daughter turned it over until we strained it out good and gave the chickens the spent, sweet mullein and labeled the syrup and mixed with grape flavored Kool Aid. She loved it. It did taste like grape with a bit of earthy taste but she liked it more than Tussin and said it worked just as good.