Foraging Mullein

Got a cold or cough? Walk outside and get yourself some mullein! It's a great medicinal herb for respiratory ailments.

Mullein leaves are light green and very fuzzy. The first year their leaves grow in a rosette pattern close to the ground, and the second year they send up tall yellow flower spikes in the summer and fall. Both the leaves and flowers are used for medicinal purposes. It's easy to dry the leaves and use them in tea. The flowers can also be dried. Sometimes the flowers are infused in a oil and used for earaches.

If you're looking for this velvety gem, start beside the road in ditches or near fields. It likes to grow in dry, sunny spots.

Made it through the winter!

Mullein has a long and glorious history. It is said that the Romans dipped the leaves in wax to use as torches. Victorian women would rub a piece on their cheek to get a rosy complexion, and American Indians, as well as early settlers, used the leaves in their shoes to help keep warm. 

According to The Herbal Drugstore, mullein can be used for treating asthma, bronchitis, colds & flu, cold sores, pinkeye & sties, pneumonia, shingles, smoking addiction, and sore throat. A great herb to add to your medicine cabinet!