Mullein belongs to the brownroot family, and many species of it are used as medicinal plants. It prefers to grow in sunny and dry places and can be found throughout Europe.
Occurrence and cultivation of mullein
In the past, the stems were dipped in oil, resin or wax and then used as torches. Mullein (Verbascum), also winterblom or skybrand, are herbaceous plants with simple foliage leaves, alternately distributed around the stem and very hairy. The Latin name derives from the word “barba”, which means beard, another derivation arises from the Greek word “thapsia”, which denotes an umbelliferous plant that was used for yellowing. Mullein flowers from July to August, the inflorescences are spikey or racemose and have five sepals. The petals are very often yellow, more rarely purple or white. Mullein are biennial plants, which means that in the first year only the rosette of leaves appears, the next year the plant grows and begins to bloom. In the past, their stems were dipped in oil, resin or wax and then used as torches. Mullein is also very often called weather candle, because it was used to ward off thunderstorms. For this purpose, the plant was smoked together with tansy. In addition, Verbacium was considered a protective plant against mischief and dark energies. It was made into amulets to strengthen the body and provide protection. Incense with mullein flowers can also soothe the mind, relieve tension, as well as alleviate belligerence. Mullein contains mucilage as well as various iridiods such as verbascoside, aucubin, saponins, flavonoids and invert sugar.
Effect and application
Hippocrates already recommended mullein as a remedy for wound treatment. Aristotle used the plant to catch fish. To do this, he sprinkled the seeds into the water so that the fish were stunned due to the saponins contained in the seed. In North America, Indians are said to have smoked the dried leaves to combat respiratory diseases. Hildegard von Bingen used Verbacium mainly for depression, Dioscorides, a Greek physician, also called mullein the “flame against the cough” and even today the plant is used mainly for respiratory diseases. The flowers of mullein contain saponins and flavonoids, which cover the irritated mucous membranes with a kind of protective layer and are therefore used for hoarseness, sore throat, bronchial diseases as well as irritable cough. They are also used to treat allergic asthma and allergies. In the cold season, a tea made from the flowers of mullein can protect against infection, and it also helps with flu-like infections caused by viruses. The tea promotes sweating and cleanses the lymph. Mullein can also be used for herpes simplex infections. In the case of conjunctivitis, a compress with flowers can also provide relief. Sebastian Kneipp used the medicinal plant mainly as a heart tonic. For this purpose, he recommended adding the leaves of mullein to a meat broth together with soup vegetables and boiling it. In addition, mullein is also used as a remedy for rheumatism and as a diuretic. When used externally, the flowers contribute to wound healing in various skin conditions.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
If you find mullein during a walk, you can collect the flowers and then prepare a tea from them. To do this, take a teaspoon of flowers and pour 250 ml of cold water over them. The tea should preferably be made cold, as the mucilage it contains is then not destroyed. Then let it steep for at least two hours and sweeten it with honey if desired. Already a few flowers provide the bright yellow color of the tea. This protects irritated mucous membranes in summer and winter and is also used for red eyes. If you want to stock up, you should collect the flowers in the sun and in the late morning, because then they do not start to mold. You can use the flowers of different species, such as small-flowered mullein (Verbascum thapsus), large-flowered (Verbascum densiflorum) and wind-flowered (Verbascum phlomoides).Mullein can also be very well combined with other medicinal plants such as ribwort, mallow or fennel, which also help with hoarseness and cough. There is also the possibility of making a mullein flower oil. This oil is suitable for massaging in case of neck pain or can also be instilled in case of earache. To do this, put two handfuls of flowers in a jar with a screw cap and pour 100ml of high-quality olive oil over them. Then leave the mixture for four weeks in a warm and bright place, but the oil should not be in the sun. After that, the mullein flower oil is poured off through a cloth and stored in dark vials. In case of cough or bronchitis, a mullein tincture also helps. To make it, collect fresh blossoms in the morning, put them in a screw-top jar, pour high-proof alcohol over them and leave the tincture in a warm place for about four weeks. It is then strained and bottled. Another option is to make mullein milk sugar, which can then be mixed into any cough tea. For this purpose, fresh flowers are mortared with lactose in the ratio of 1:1, then this is spread on baking paper and the mixture is dried. Furthermore, mullein is also used as a flower essence, this strengthens and drives away sadness and gives the courage to find or go your own way in life.
