The mullein (Verbascum) not only occurs wild on many railway embankments and in gravel pits, it is also often purposefully planted in gardens today because of the impressive flowers. Mullein's distinctive leaves have given it some of its slang names.

Mullein leaves have healing powers

Different names for a traditional garden plant

The mullein has been cultivated in monasteries and cottage gardens for centuries due to its possible uses in traditional naturopathy. Hildegard von Bingen already described the positive effects of the ingredients contained in the flowers and leaves in her treatises. Over the centuries, a wide variety of names have become popular for this plant, which also has magnificent flowers in its wild form:

  • Thunder and Lightning Candle
  • dude
  • skyburn
  • fiend candle
  • weather candle
  • winterblom
  • wool herb or wool flower

The special function of the leaves in the mullein

The term "wool flower" or "wool herb" is due to the hairiness of the leaves of the mullein. This hairy covering of the leaf rosettes with greyish yellow stellate hairs acts both as protection against strong sunlight and against evaporation. Also, the leaves are usually arranged around the stem in such a way that rainwater hitting the leaves is drained directly to the base of the plant. Overall, the woolly-looking leaves are one of the prerequisites for mulleins to be able to thrive in extremely hot and dry locations without special care.

The use of the leaves in natural medicine

For use in naturopathy, not only are the petals plucked, but the leaves are also harvested from the leaf rosettes near the ground. So that they dry faster and do not get moldy while drying, you should cut the leaves in the late morning of a dry summer day. In some cases, extracts and inhalation mixtures are made from mullein with high-quality oils, but more often tea is brewed from the well-dried leaves.

tips and tricks

The leaves of the mullein are used in gentle naturopathy for various purposes: they are said to have a beneficial effect on colds and asthma, but also in the treatment of stomach and intestinal problems. If you are unsure about identifying plants, you can also get ready-made tea mixtures from pharmacies under the name “Verbasci flos”.

Category:

Herbs