A HERBALIST’S VIEW OF MULLEIN

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is used primarily for chest infections– bronchitis and tracheitis – especially where there is a ‘hard’, cough.It is soothing and anti-inflammatory. The leaves should be gathered in midsummer, before they turn brown, and dried in the shade. The flowers are gathered between July and September in dry weather. Both are used in tea or tincture (water/alcohol extract), form, often combined with other herbs such as Coltsfoot and White Horehound. Readers of Alison Uttley’s ‘Little Grey Rabbit’ books may remember that the downy leaves were wrapped around the necks of animals suffering from sore throat!, For external use an oil can be made by warming mullein flowers in olive or almond oil. It can then be applied to inflamed skin or used as eardrops (provided that the eardrum is not perforated).

Caroline Wheeler
Medical Herbalist