As we approach one of the hotter months for our area, we begin to see more and more smoke fill the air from regional fires. This smoke can be highly irritating to the throat, lungs, and eyes. Luckily, Mother Nature is here to help!
If it's seasonal allergies, smoke irritation, lung damage, pneumonia, the common cold, or the flu, there is one herb that stands above the rest: Mullein!
Mullein, or Verbascum thapsus, grows readily in rocky, sandy soil and disturbed areas. It grows all throughout North America, and you've probably seen it growing along highways and roads. It's tall spikey flower stalk is hard to miss, and upon closer inspection, you'll find fluffy, fuzzy leaves. Oftentimes though those fuzzy leaves can cause irritation, so be careful when picking the leaves for drying!
Mullein has been used since ancient times, and was described in the Middle Ages by Culpeper to address everything from cramps and coughs to rough (but not smooth) warts and gout (Culpeper, 1653).
Rich in mucilage and saponins specific to the respiratory system, mullein is an expectorant (helps to release and remove excess phlegm), anti-inflammatory, and anti-spasmodic useful for bronchitis and dry coughing, and as a general tonifying herb for the respiratory system.
The German Commission E has approved the flower for catarrhs of the respiratory tract. It is used for coughs, asthma, colds, bronchitis, and other lung and respiratory system issues
The oil infusion of wilted flowers is commonly employed as an ear infection remedy and to soothe ear aches.
Scientists have determined that mullein has anti-inflammatory properties (Speranza et al., 2009) and anti-influenza properties in vitro (Rajbhandari et al., 2009).
Enjoy these smokey, hazy days by adding mullein to your daily tea cup!
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