by Rebecca Andrews, MA, MS

Let me introduce you to my friend, Mullein, formally known as Verbascum thapsus.

I was a desperate mama! My never-sick-4-year-old had been waking at night, coughing for hours at a time, for over a week now! I was only recently recovered from the same thing and desperate for some sleep. We’d been to urgent care three times between us, had strep and various other tests come back negative, and were repeatedly sent home to take cough syrup - which wasn’t working. The doctor wanted my daughter to start on an antibiotic now - though he stated he didn’t think there was any bacterial infection. I’d not begun my formal herbal studies, yet, but I knew enough to start researching.

That evening, I made a strong infusion of mullein leaf and mixed it with a giant scoop of raw honey and some lemon juice. When my daughter woke coughing that night, I gave her about 2 tablespoons. Much to my amazement, she fell back asleep quickly and didn’t wake again for a few more hours. I gave her another dose and she slept until morning. I was in awe of my new “magical potion” and within days her cough was gone.

Years later, my daughter and I were driving through a poor rural community when we spotted 6 children on the side of the road holding up a huge sign chanting “FREE DOG! FREE DOG!! FREE DOG!!” Being big-hearted animal lovers and concerned about an old pitbull being given away free (she already had bite marks on her) we took sweet Lily home with the intention of fostering her (she quickly let us know that she was *home* - no temporary fostering needed). The poor baby had a number of health issues chief among them being asthma. She’d halt suddenly, wheezing and gasping for breathe, after walking a mere block from the house. The cold weather only made it worse.

Again, I turned to a mullein infusion. This time I left out the honey and lemon and added a bit of bone broth (though we quickly found she loved it even without). Within a few weeks of drinking this infusion, the asthma attacks had stopped.

Mullein - for now obvious reasons - is my favorite herb for supporting lung health!

Let’s take a look at some of the scientific literature on this herb.

Turker and Gurel published an article in Phytotherapy Research simply titled “Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus L.): Recent Advances.” Here are a few quotes from their article:

“Historically, mullein has been used as a remedy for the respiratory tract, particularly in cases of irritating coughs with bronchial congestion (Hoffman, 1988). Mullein leaves and flowers have expectorant and demulcent properties which are used by herbalists to treat respiratory problems such as bronchitis, dry coughs, whooping cough, tuberculosis, asthma and hoarseness (Grieve, 1981; Mabey, 1988; Berk, 1996)…..

Mullein combines the expectorant action of its saponins with the soothing effect of its mucilage, making this a most useful herb for the treatment of hoarseness, tight coughs, bronchitis, asthma and whooping cough….

The dried leaves are sometimes smoked in an ordinary tobacco pipe to relieve the irritation of the respiratory mucus membrane, and will completely control the hacking cough of consumption. The leaves are employed with equal benefit when made into cigarettes, for asthma and spasmodic coughs.”

How to make a mullein infusion for tea or syrup: 

  • Combine an ounce of mullein with a pint of water.
  • Bring to a low boil and immediately cover and turn off. You don’t want the oils to evaporate.
  • Allow it to infuse for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
  • Strain out the herbal particulate. You have a few choices at this point:
  1. You can drink the now-cold infusion.
  2. You can make a syrup. Gently reheat the infusion and add raw honey (agave or maple for vegan alternatives) and lemon to taste. I use a lot because I’m aiming for a syrup that can be taken a few tbsp at a time. I put this in a small canning jar with a lid and leave it on the bedside table at night.
  3. You can make a tea. Gently reheat the infusion. Add a milder dose of lemon and honey, to taste, than you would for a syrup.

Options
Mullein combines well with herbs like mint, yarrow, elderberries or elderflowers, cherry bark, and echinacea. Feel free to add to your infusion as taste and needs dictate.

For Kids
Have young ones? Guide them to “listen to your heart” as they choose one or two herbs to add. Children often have a wonderful intuitive attraction to herbs that they need.

Our mullein is organically sourced from Europe and carefully packaged in non-BPA packaging.

The information included at this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a health care professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult his or her personal physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader's situation.