Tenacious Mullein

Mullein is one of my favorite local medicinal plants...party because of her soothing healing properties...and partly because she reminds me of the saguaro cacti that I love so much. Mullein thrives in unfriendly soil, bringing her healing medicine in the most unlikely places at times...fierce as a mama bear, healing and protecting those she loves even when they are potentially not in the most supportive environments. This mullein from last year's bounty towers like a monument of what has come and as a reminder of the turning season that is at our frozen doorsteps.

Here are some of the healing benefits of this tenacious plant:

• Parts Used: Leaves & Flowers

• It is known as a demulcent and an emollient, which means that it has a high content of mucilage which soothes and protects inflamed and irritated skin, either external or internal.

• Used in tea to help bring relief from respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, dry or wet coughs, sore throats, and congestion.

• Used as a topical treatment, either in an infused oil, salve, or poultice, can bring relief to burns, wounds, hemorrhoids, or bruises.

• Has antiviral and antibacterial properties when utilized in water or alcohol extractions.

• This is an excellent plant to combine with other demulcent and expectorant plants such as slippery elm, marshmallow root, and licorice root (not Twizzlers...the actual plant…) in a water infusion (tea), to help bring healing when one is suffering from seasonal allergies or are recovering from a respiratory infection that is lingering (those situations where a cough is the only symptom that hangs on for dear life).

Here’s a picture of mullein growing next to echinacea at The Nature Conservancy in Cape May, NJ. Keep your eyes peeled for this beauty as the seasons get warmer!