MULLEIN

[Mennoniteman]

Mullein is a fuzzy leafed plant that is resistant to many herbicides, and is therefore found in my ladino clover fields.
Supposedly you can get a soothing effect from smoking it, therefore it's sometimes called "poor man's tobacco".
Recently people have been harvesting it out of my fields to make tea, the tea is supposed to provide asthma relief.
I have no evidence of deer ever browsing it at all. Therefore I consider it an undesirable pest that looks like random tobacco plants growing in my clover.
Tillage seems to eradicate it, and spot spraying is effective in ladino clover.
Mullein: (Verbascum thapsus) a tall, fuzzy-leafed biennial plant widely found in North America and Eurasia that has a long history of use in traditional herbal medicine, primarily for respiratory ailments and skin conditions.
Here I have a picture of my daughter drying it to make tea.

 

[catscratch]

Let us know how that turns out! It grows here on thin rocky outcroppings that have been disturbed. Interested in uses as it doesn't seem to do anything here except fix soils.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Let us know how that turns out! It grows here on thin rocky outcroppings that have been disturbed. Interested in uses as it doesn't seem to do anything here except fix soils.

My friend who is visiting from Mississippi picked some today, washed it well, and brewed the green leaves right away in hot water, so I tried a cup. It has a very pleasant taste, very similar to a meadow tea like balsam. Supposedly it's very healthy too. I drank it unsweetened, but a bit of sugar would be ok too. I think that I might try to brew some myself.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Here's a mullein plant that has some mud on it, the deer have been working this plot over pretty good and trampled right over it. No deer usage whatsoever.

 

[catscratch]

Thanks for the info! I need to do some internet searches. Also should check my spots where it grows. Not really sure what it does in the winter here.

 

[KSQ2]

Interesting...

 

[Folk Rock Farm]

Mullein is a biennial, so it only has a two year growth cycle. First year it grows leaves, second year the flower and seed stalk. As long as you keep mowing it down before it can set seed you should be able to gently get rid of it. It might take a couple of years of doing that but it will go away naturally. Also yes it does smoke well!

 

[M. R. Byrd]

I have also heard of people making a tincture from Mullein. I knew some people that sought out unsprayed bindweed to make tea. They thought it would cure anything. From what I heard bindweed tea can have laxative effects and I would believe it since she came running to our door needing the bathroom bad.