MISSIVES FROM THE APOTHECARY:
Magnificent Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
November 25, 2024
by Kamden Cornell, Old Town Herbal head herbalist and owner of Heart & Vine Apothecary
One of the most beneficial plants for lung maintenance and overall health during this time of year is a common, sometimes invasive, plant known as mullein (pronounced MULL-in), gordo lobo, candelaria, Hekate’s candles, king’s candles, hag taper, cowboy toilet paper, and graveyard dirt. It grows well in the Sandias, though it can be found prolifically throughout the state along roadsides and growing in disturbed soil or craggy rock.
It is a biennial herb, starting in its first year as a small to medium rosette of light green, fuzzy leaves that stay low to the ground. In its second (or possibly third) year it will send up a stalk with a club shaped grouping of yellow flowers that erupt from the bottom up as the stalk continues to grow. This stalk is usually 2-7 feet tall, though I’ve seen them grow to over 12 feet! After the plant stalks it will die, withering down to a tall, brown, whiplike stem with a sort of “corndog” of dried seed pods at the top. This will shake and wag in the wind, causing the incredibly tiny seeds to be flung far afield, thus spreading the plant far and wide.
Mullein is an interesting plant because its three parts (root, leaf, and flower) are used in very different ways. The root is used in long term remedies to help in cases of incontinence and for issues relating to spasmodic smooth muscle that may lead to pain in the abdomen and low back. In certain cases, it can also be useful to reduce inflammation in the prostate. \
The leaf is used primarily for lung health, especially in cases of chronic illness such as asthma, COPD, and emphysema, but also to help alleviate soreness from cough and bronchial infections and act as an expectorant by loosening and thinning mucus. The leaves have been used to decrease inflammation in not only lung tissues, but throughout the GI tract, and can help with hemorrhoids, gut pain, and intestinal upset. They also make useful bandages in emergency situations where mullein is nearby.
The flower acts as a lymphogogue and as joint support. It is useful in cases of earache and the effects of TMJ syndrome. The seeds have been used by various indigenous people as a fish poison, as the chemical released by them in water act to stun aquatic creatures, causing them to become lethargic or rise to the surface for easy catching.
Other uses of mullein include the dried stalks of mullein being dipped in wax or tallow to create torches, called king’s candles or hag tapers. The leaves are often used as a tobacco substitute, especially in preparations meant to help one stop smoking cigarettes. In magical practice, mullein is used as a replacement for graveyard dirt, as an offering to spirits of the crossroads or various deities, as an herb that evokes Jupiterian, Saturnine, and Mercurial qualities, and as a protection against mal ojo and malicious spirits.
If you haven’t wildcrafted it, we have plenty of mullein leaf here at Old Town Herbal! Come on by and grab some to help keep your lungs safe this season!