Mullein Tea

🍃 Have you heard of Mullein tea?

For a few years, I’ve been seeing this plant on various natural health sites and groups that I’m in. People wild harvesting it, making all sorts of tonics and drying the plant for medicinal use.

🌼 Meet Mullein

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is that tall, fuzzy plant with soft silvery leaves and a spike of little yellow flowers you see growing along roadsides and in paddocks. It grows prolifically all over the world, and you’ll even see it here in Italy!

It’s sometimes called “velvet plant” or “candlewick plant”, because in the old days the dried stalks were dipped in wax or fat and used as torches. 🔥

📜 A plant with a long history

Mullein has been used in folk medicine for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks wrote about it, it was used across Europe and by Native American peoples, and it was a staple in old cottage gardens and remedy cupboards.

Traditionally it’s been used for:
– Respiratory and lung health, especially dry, tickly coughs and that chesty feeling
– Soothing the throat
– Earaches (using an infused oil made from the flowers)
– Calming irritated skin

I’d been searching for a while to buy some, until I found it at Tea Life, where I’ve bought some other great teas from in the past.

☕️ How to make Mullein tea, step by step

1. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried mullein leaf to a teapot or jar.
2. Pour over a cup of boiling water.
3. Cover and let it steep for at least 30 minutes. The longer the better!
4. IMPORTANT: strain it through a fine cloth, coffee filter or nut milk bag, not just a normal strainer. Mullein leaves have tiny hairs that can irritate your throat if they slip through.
5. Sip a cup through the day. A drop of honey and a squeeze of lemon are lovely in it too. 🍋

⚠️ If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication, check with your health practitioner first, and see your doctor for any cough that hangs around.

I am always learning about new ways to support our wellbeing through nature’s wonderful plants, be it oils, tinctures, teas or remedies. 💚