Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

Notes: Common Mullein has long been in the Garden area. Eloise Butler catalogued it in her index file of plants in the early Garden on Sept. 5, 1908. Then on Oct. 21, 1910 she brought in a plant she named "Aaron's Rod". That name is used for several plants including Live-forever, Hylotelephium telephium. Since her 1910 source was Glenwood Springs, right near the Garden, we believe her 1910 plant was Mullein. Mullein was listed on Martha Crone's 1951 inventory of plants in the Garden at that time. The plant is not native to the United States, but an import with the pioneers. It is now found throughout North America except the farthest north Canadian provinces. It is considered a noxious weed in some states. There are over 350 species of Verbascum world-wide.

Naturalist Edwin Way Teale notes: "...I made a careful census of the little hibernators in such a plant, I know that between these leaves, as between a stack of woolen blankets, tiny forms of life - minute spiders and beetles and springtails - have found a snug winter retreat. There they will be secure while ice and snow lock in the winter fields. So far as I have observed, not one of our birds has shown any awareness of this convenient source of winter food." [from A Naturalist Buys an Old Farm.]

Toxicity: Nothing to fear - the entire plant contains slightly narcotic properties, however the short hooks on the stem and leaf hair can be a problem if precautions are not taken but they have been used on purpose for cosmetics- see 'lore' below.

Lore and Uses: Practical: Dried flower spikes, dipped in suet or tallow made torches - as far back as Roman times. The Greeks and others later used the leaves as lamp wicks, as the down on the leaves, when dry, was excellent tinder. Prior to the introduction of cotton for wicks, this was a substitute - hence the common name "Candlewick Plant." Another name is “Hag’s Taper” referring to a superstition that witches used it for illumination in their incantations. Quaker ladies who could not use cosmetics were said to rub the leaves on their cheeks to make them red, resembling rouge. The effect would last for a while, however it unfortunately was a reddening caused by the irritation of the skin from the barbed hairs on the leaves. A permanent green dye can be obtained from the leaves by extracting the pigment and adding sulfuric acid - not exactly a home recipe.

Monet grew V. thapsus in his large garden at Giverny. (Ref. 36A). He particularly liked mixing the ordinary with the exotic and had the plant growing near his Clematis frames and in contrast to the heavy oriental poppies - a combination still presented at Giverny. He let them self-seed and grow where they fell.

Lore and Uses: Medicinal: The leaves and flowers are used for medicinal purposes. The leaves - contain a large concentration of mucilage that can make a demulcent - a substance that softens mucous membranes - and have emollient and astringent properties. Decoctions and infusions were used to allay coughs, particularly the hacking cough of consumption; to remove the pain of hemorrhoids; and in treating diarrhea's.

The flowers contain gum, a resin, a glucoside, phosphoric acid and a volatile oil. An infusion of the flowers was a remedy for catarrhs, colic, etc. An oil was produced from the flowers and Mullein oil was used for earache and discharge from the ear. Hutchins (Ref. #12) reports an old German remedy for deafness as a result of dried earwax, wax too soft or insufficient wax: "Mullein oil, sun distilled from Green Mullein flowers, 3 to 5 drops twice a day until the condition is corrected." Mullein oil was considered a destroyer of disease germs. The fresh flowers steeped for 21 days in olive oil were said to make a bactericide. Extracts of Mullein show strong anti-inflammatory activity in lab tests.

The plant was listed in the 4th edition of the National Formulary. In Europe dried leaves were smoked in ordinary pipes to relieve irritation of mucus membranes. The Choctaw Indians of North American reportedly used it similarly. Mullein Tea was also made, but like any other use of the leaves in a liquid, it must be strained to remove any of the leaf hair that may be in the liquid as the barbs on the end of the hair would be extremely irritating if ingested. The common name "Bullock's Lungwort" refers to a long history of the plant being used by stockmen in treating respiratory diseases of cattle. The use of the word 'Clown', such as used here with 'Clown's Lung-wort' is from the English view that uneducated people using a herb for home remedies are into 'clown-ish' activities.

The most complete report of the uses of this plant can be found in the book by the English Herbalist Mrs. M. Grieve (Ref. #7). Densmore (Ref. #5) has no report of its use in Minnesota, perhaps because of its late introduction to the State.