Mullein (rhymes with “sullen”) is a prolific biennial plant that has leaves and stems covered with soft, fuzzy hairs. Typical of a biennial, mullein forms a basal rosette of enormous, velvet-soft leaves in its first year of growth. In its second year, the plant shoots up a towering flower stalk packed with yellow flowers. The mullein plant is very prolific, and many consider it a weed.
Mullein leaves and flowers have long been used to soothe respiratory irritations — for example, asthma, coughs, colds, laryngitis, bronchitis, and COPD. The herb is an expectorant that looses mucus and a demulcent with soothing tissue-coating properties.
Today, mullein leaf is often prepared as a tea or infusion, then carefully strained to remove any fine plant hairs. The taste is mild, earthy, and slightly bitter. Cut and sifted leaves can also be used to make syrups, lozenges, and topical treatments like poultices, ointments and salves.
