Now is the time to harvest this fabulous herb! Mullein grows wild in Ohio and in many other states. I have seen it in Colorado and Utah. The first year it grows as a simple rosette of leaves, soft and fuzzy. The second year it sends up a stalk, anywhere from 2-8 feet tall. As a biennial it lives only two years, then it reseeds and the cycle begins anew. You will find it along roadsides, or building sites, where the earth has been disturbed. It loves poor soil, so will thrive just about anywhere. Try to harvest it in a location free of car exhaust fumes, fertilizers, or pesticides.
Each day I go out to my garden and harvest 4-5 yellow flower petals from each mullein stalk. It is a long process to fill a small bowl. These mullein flowers are like gold, very precious. They cannot be bought…only harvested by hand. The flowers are used to make the best earache oil.
Mullein & Garlic Ear Oil
In the top of a double boiler, place 1 Tbsp. each mullein flowers and chopped garlic. Cover them generously with olive oil, a little over 1 ounce. Fill the bottom half of the pot with water. Place oil half over the water half and simmer lightly for 15-20 minutes. Strain off oil and place into a bottle with a dropper. Use to soothe earaches. Place 3 drops in the ear, follow with a bit of cotton, 1-2 times daily as needed. This oil generally lasts for 6 months, so make a new batch each summer.
After the flowering is done, you can harvest the leaves. I lay the leaves flat to dry on a table. Or you can hang the whole stalk upside down to dry. Once the leaves are dry, I tear them into ½ inch pieces and store in a canning jar. Check the lid after about 3 days, if you find moisture, lay the leaf out to dry a bit longer. Then store it in a cool, dark place. Don’t forget to label your jar with herb name and date.
Dr.Christopher’s Lung & Bronchial Tincture
¾ cup mullein & ¼ cup lobelia
Place dried herbs in pint canning jar. Cover with vodka. Use a piece of plastic over the jar before using the metal lid. Let sit for 14 days, shaking daily. Then strain out herbs and discard. Place tincture in dropper bottles. Use one dropper as needed or 3-4 times a day, to help dispel mucus from the lungs and throat.
I allow the stalk to dry laying in the garden. Then in the fall, I will break up the flowering part to allow the seeds to fall and hopefully, give me mullein for the next year. I am always delighted to find those little fuzzy leaves in my garden. The little first year plants will tolerate being transplanted in the early spring, so you can place them where you want them.
I hope you enjoy making your own herbal medicine with this wonderful herb.
Mullein is my herb favorite for 2020! Have fun!