Mullein Leaves - Why Harvest Mullein, When to Harvest Mullein, and How to ID Mullein

Here's the full video link for, "3 Ways to Use Mullein - Fresh Leaf Tea, Dry Leaf Tea and Smoking and Harvesting, Drying, and Storage."
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Mullein - Verbascum thapsus
Mullein is a wild medicinal plant with a lot of different medicinal uses. Different parts of the mullein plant can be harvested and used for different reasons like the mullein roots use to moisten joins, the mullein flowers to use for earaches, and the mullein leaves to use with dry respiratory ailments. Some people might not be sure what parts of the mullein plant they want to use or when the best times to harvest the different parts of the plant. In this video is show how to ID mullein, discuss reasons for harvesting and using mullein leaves, and discuss what time of the year I think would be the best time to harvest the leaves.
Mullein leaves can easily be used to make a tea and they can also be smoked. Mullein is often used for respiratory ailments, and there are a lot of other medicinal uses for mullein described in this video.
Please consume wild plants at your own risk! Consult multiple reliable sources before consuming any wild plants! This video is for information and entertainment only!
References
De La Foret; Han, Emily. Wild Remedies: How to Froage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. Hay House, Inc. 2020.
Kloos, Scott. Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press, Inc. 2017
MacKinnon, A. Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine Media Productions (BC) Ltd. 2014.
Parish, R.; Coupe, R.; and Lloyd, D. Plants of the Inland Northwest and Southern Interior British Columbia. BC Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing. 2018
Turner, N. J. Food Plants of Interior First Peoples. Royal BC Museum. 2007
Wiles, Briana. Mountain States Medicinal Plants. Timber Press Inc. 2018.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Here's a video that shows harvesting, drying, storing, and using mullein three different ways. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKm0lZ2sabSYncU

[@lindacarol5982]

I've had bronchitis for almost 3 months and I was wondering how to prepare and how much. Antibiotics don't work

[@estherbrown4084]

Mullein is also an incense ingredient, or so a book by Carl F. Neal says.

[@shanthadhanraj6264]

I Need mullein seeds. Available. Are some leaves. I suffering from asthma.

[@OrthodoxInquirer]

My grandfather had a compound fracture from playing football and got gangrene. They were going to amputate his leg the next morning. The sweet black lady who worked for his family in North Georgia, Minnie House, sat up with him all night with his leg propped up on a chair and a pot of water as hot as she could stand it with mullein in it. She would take the mullein and doodle it down in the hole in his leg. She worked with him all night and in the morning his leg and shrunk back down to normal size. The doctor arrived and was shocked that Grandpa didn't need the amputation!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Wow! Amazing story! Thank you!

[@americafirst9144]

Amazing!

[@thevagabondsageinthewoods]

Actually I don’t try to complicate my harvest. I have mullein, “Queen Mullein” I call her growing all over this place. She was the first plant ally I met and she had 7 thistle growing around her…I called those her “guards”! 😂 She has saved my life! I used her leaves in tea when I was very sick. Together, with strawberries and honey, I managed to recover. I let her stalks grow and woodpeckers eat her seeds. Pollinators of every type hide and hunt amongst her large leaves and caterpillars morph there as well. She grows everywhere around me. She is my “spirit plant”. I use her tincture daily because I have a throat condition and she soothes that. Great vid.❤

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Thank you! I love this comment!

[@thevagabondsageinthewoods]

@@OkanaganGardenerandForager thank you! I really enjoyed your video!

[@JuniorFarquar]

Gawd

[@marshabowlin1757]

How do you make the tincture ?

[@thevagabondsageinthewoods]

@@marshabowlin1757 same way I make all tinctures. I use ONLY 100 proof vodka poured over a mason jar that is 2/3rds full of leaves. Don’t macerate my leaves, but simply cut up somewhat so as to give adequate surface area for the vodka to make contact with. Pour vodka over leaves TO THE BRIM. Lid it and store in cool, dark place for 6 weeks. Strain into another jar and store out of sunlight.

[@mrbuck5059]

This plant grows everywhere and it has healing properties. I'm surprised the government hasn't tried to eradicate it.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

It is trying to eradicate it in some places!

[@mrbuck5059]

@@OkanaganGardenerandForager yep. Because it helps people. The gooberment is evil.

[@georgejennings9959]

Lol this comment made me burst out laughing. I've weeded tens of thousands of weeds over the years and mullein (like sorrel) just keeps coming back. The height of stupidity is fighting the unfightable. Humans are the only species that doesn't get that we have to work With mother nature, not against her. The journey of a million miles begins with a single step. Humans spend so much time on trivial purposes in their relatively short lifetime.

[@soggycarrot3319]

⁠​⁠@@mrbuck5059no. While useful in some situations, it is a weed and can get extremely invasive in temperate regions and hard to get rid of if left unchecked. It can be bad for stuff like hay because it kills the plants around it. The government isn’t trying to eradicate it entirely but only in some places.

[@TheDonwiggins]

I took a walk down a closed road today that I don't normally walk. I was called to find a TON of mullein.

[@tobytails4650]

I make mullein tea for my horse for his cough and he loves it!!

[@pennypetrovic3682]

Best video I’ve seen yet

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Wow, thank you!

[@emmalee478]

Awesome! Love how you explain why you harvest when you do!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Thank you!

[@jayisola6787]

This Guy cracks me up! He'd be fun to hang out with.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Thank you!

[@LH-zw7dg]

I need to try some Mullein! Thanks for the video!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

You're welcome! Thank you, too!

[@zabrinagraves7059]

Thank you the video! Was outside Manama exploring. Pretty sure I found some but wasn’t 100%. Now I’m sure that’s what we found! So much of it too!! Found Blue Elderberries too!!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Awesome! I'm glad it helped!

[@pats9055]

Thanks! You answered my questions. Want to harvest some.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Oh, good! I'm glad it helped! You're welcome, and thank you too!

[@whybecuzimme]

Hello, I just crossed your channel. Thank you for this video. I look forward to watching all your others. I love learning about this.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Thank you! I'm glad you found the channel!

[@mr-vet]

Have these plants all over my 3-acre property (live an hour west of DC, in Virginia)….seems like their one of the few plants deer and rabbits don’t like…..

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Yes, I think they are not eaten much by grazing animals. Thank you!

[@GeomagneticEarthWatch]

Found one growing along one of my vege areas and decided to let it go. Never researched it but now all I see are videos on this plant. From West Kelowna.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Yeah, a lot of people are pretty interested in mullein these days it seems. Thanks!

[@Oldboy1978]

I've used it for toilet paper at the creeks not bad!!!

[@janeschreiner5000]

Bees love the flowers. It is an interesting looking plant. I have twelve of them this year.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Twelve! Nice!

[@janeschreiner5000]

@@OkanaganGardenerandForager I just found at least eight more. I had four two year old plants last year. These dudes are just coming up so I’ll have to put them in my “Mullein nursery”. I love these majestic plants!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

@@janeschreiner5000 mullein nursery! Haha! Great!

[@ShellyEdwards-ul9zf]

I need to start looking for this all I see around my area is wild lettuce , plantain and dandelions 😊oh yea and Queen Anne’s lace

[@ethosraps6927]

I’d just heard about the benefits and in looking up how to harvest… found a local!!! I’m from Omak and used to have spear fights with dead mullein all the time. Now I’m excited to help clear my lungs up with it. Thank you so so much for sharing friend.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Awesome! I love the imagery if mullein spear fights, haha! Thanks!

[@TomokoAbe_]

I have bad sinus problems after radiation treatment. I bought seeds and will grow this and try it.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Good luck! I hope you can heal well!

[@greenfairy4894]

Eat a pinch Thyme and acupressure or acupuncture for sinus

[@kimgallegos6811]

I have lots of mullen! Thank you!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

You're welcome! Thank you, too!

[@annschultz6262]

Thank you!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

You're welcome! Thank you, too!

[@user-fz8si7mw4f]

Thank you!!!!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

You're welcome! Thank you, too!

[@soggycarrot3319]

I do a lot of weed control and I personally hate mullein. It clears your sinuses out but it doesn’t feel good coughing and sneezing for hours at a time. It’s also a pain to get rid of large patches because you have to clear it out and pick it up by hand so the seeds don’t spread even more.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Yes, it can be a real problem. Thank you!

[@stephenmras8519]

It’s an invasive species here in Montana. Hard to get rid of as the seeds can survive over 100 years. I just came in from clearing a patch on my property. Fortunately, the bigger ones pull easily when the ground is wet.

[@tjrubicon5463]

It does make good TP. My two brothers and I were camping and ran out of TP. We tried this plant and it worked well. LOL!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Haha! Excellent!

[@danyellejorgensen4970]

Nature's Charmin, for a superior wipe. It does get itchy, so your hiking turns into more of a dance for a little while. Stayin' Alive is a great song to accompany your herbal hygiene resolution.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

@@danyellejorgensen4970 🤣

[@marialuna7221]

Do they sell Mullien in stores? Im not sure if it’s the same theirs a Mullien I seen in the Latin section in market but it seemed different, don’t know if a different variety!

[@angelarenczarski]

Welp I have a bunch of these all over my hill, was going to dig them up then I found you. Can I transplant them so I have them all together in a patch like you did with stinging nettle or should I just let them grow wild?

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

I think you could definitely transplant them if you want to. I guess it depends on what you want to have in your yard. They are considered invasive in some areas, so keeping them under control in a specific area might be a good idea. Thank you!

[@bnellaniyah]

Thanks for the video. The plant on my property put out a flowering stalk? about a month ago which is now withered and gray. Can I use the plant for anything now? Should I just leave it until next year? What should I do with it? Mine is not growing in a rosette pattern but straight up and very tall.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

That sounds to me like it's already flowered and finished its life cycle. I would say it's not useful for anything now, but it likely dropped all its seeds, so there should be new growth starting before too long!

[@kennethrandolph2495]

Great natural to let paper if you have to go in the woods.

[@sylphofthewildwoods5518]

I wish I had seen this earlier. Before I pulled this plant up by the roots. I know that I have a lot of medicinal and useful weed things growing in my lawn. But they're usually mown down or I miss the optimal time to harvest them. 😐

[@joyannkjb4l250]

Thank you for this video!! I have a QUESTION: I have a small front yard area and after being here for 14 years, all of a sudden this year up popped a Mullein plant!! I'm so happy!! And thankful.. unfortunately it came up directly in the center of the lawn. I can't "hide" it.... I don't own the property and it'll get mowed over. Do you think it'll survive if I relocate it? It looks like they don't get very big the first year(?) I possibly could get away with it this year, but I'd think it'd be better to move it now rather than the second year? Any help would be greatly appreciated🙃

[@gardensteps]

The first mullein I had, l got it from a roadside during a walk, no house in sight. I didn't even know the name of the plant, or whether it was a good safe plant or poisonous plant. I just loved the way it looked. It was late fall, and the leaves were still looking pretty good. I gingerly uprooted it, and planted it in my garden. Of course, all the leaves died in winter, and I didn't think anything more of it until it propped back up the next Spring. Didn't do anything major that year. The majestic display happened a year later. I had like 15 of them. Some 4 ft tall or more. The next year they came back up again, in different spots in the garden, and I thought they must be dropping seeds, and that I will always have them like my black-eyed suzanne or datura. Well, that was about 5 years ago now. No mullein all these years. But today, I went behind my side fence, voila! Mullein!! I uprooted it and planted it in my garden. I know if nothing much comes from it this year, next year it will be spectacular. And now I know better to always make sure to harvest the seeds. So, from my own experience, you can move it from the lawn to a bed. Worst case scenario, it won't do much for you this year, but next year, it will be spectacular.

[@joyannkjb4l250]

@@gardensteps Thank you so much for your reply!! Ok then, I'll relocate it and keep my fingers crossed lol I'm so glad you found Mullein again! Isn't it SUCH a neat feeling.... From one Joy to another, I hope you have a spectacular abundance also!!😊

[@gardensteps]

@@joyannkjb4l250 Thank you so much Joy!! So lovely meeting you, if only via e-meet! Happy planting!!!

[@helenmellbin7859]

I relocate - it survive, and grow beautiful.

[@kimgocal1104]

Do you dry the leaves before smoking it?

[@mrsmincey9731]

Is this the same as mullein( verbascum densiflorum) and could it be used for the same things. This is my first year growing mullein and I wasn't sure if it was the same.

[@margsonzini792]

yes, it is

[@TamiFowler1]

I also heard that you can blow it in the ear of someone that has an ear ache, and it will make the ear go away

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Yes, I've heard that too, but I haven't tried it myself. Thank you!

[@patsnoyer]

So I am new at this. So after the spike comes with the flowers, are the leaves still ok to use for tinctures and teas?

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

I think you can definitely still use the leaves. They just might not be as potent as at other growth stages.

[@patsnoyer]

@@OkanaganGardenerandForager Thank you for answering.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

@@patsnoyer you're welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@jcfsaiyan]

Am I seeing the starts of some opium lettuce near that mullen

[@gaythaquinlin2827]

Have you ever collected Rabbit Tobacco?

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

No, I haven't. Have you?

[@ConfedVet]

I just ordered some seed, but it doesn't say anything about planting them. Any suggestions?

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

I would just plant them only about twice as deep as the seeds are wide and don't overwater them. Those are tips not specific to mullein, but hopefully they're helpful! Good luck!

[@billiejeanpool3082]

How many leaves is a safe amount to harvest without disturbing the plant ?

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

I think that's a great question! For me, if a plant looks strong and healthy, I only take maybe three leaves from it. However, mullein is also described in many areas as invasive, and it can outcompete native plants. I think some people would say the most ethical thing to do is dig up the whole plant and use all the leaves and whatever other parts you're interested in using.

[@Lyssa72]

Are the leaves still potent enough if the stalk has already started? I just found a bunch today but they aren’t going to be as effective, I don’t want to waste time.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

I think if the stalk has only started, the leaves are likely still good. They might not be as potent, but in my opinion if the plant is still healthy looking and growing in good conditions, they will likely still be good. If the plant is all done flowering or actively flowering, I think the leaves would be less potent for sure. At least that's what I think!

[@Lyssa72]

@@OkanaganGardenerandForager thank you. The stalk is there but hasn’t flowered yet. I will grab a few leaves to make a tincture and see how it turns out in about 8 wks

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

@Lyssa72 good luck! I hope it works out!

[@patrickswope5437]

I harvest the leaves and Let them rot in water for liquid fertilizer to use in my garden.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Does it make a difference that you can tell?

[@dallen4482]

I’ve heard that lambs ear resembles mullein. How similar are they in reality?

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

For me I don't think they look very similar. They both have fuzzy leaves, so I think that's the big trait that gets people mixed up. I think if you see them side-by-side, it's fairly easy to tell them apart. Thank you!

[@DanaD555]

Lamb ears' leaves are much smaller, and the color is green silverish. Also, the flower blooms are very different: for lamb ears the blooms are PINK, instead of the mullein which the blooms are YELLOW.

[@pamdore9292]

Mullein starts out as a rosette pattern of leaves.

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

@@pamdore9292 yup!

[@carlacrawford-graham]

What area of the country can these be found? Thank you. Do they grow in Texas?

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

They can be found throughout North America, so yes, I think you should be able to find them in Texas. I often see them near disturbances like roads, fences, the edges of forests and other places people have cut down lots of trees and/or vegetation. You're welcome and thank you, too!

[@channyl252]

Thank you!! I let Mullen grow where ever it likes in the garden! Awesome plant! Thank you for the great videos from an Okanagan fan!

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

​​@@channyl252 You're welcome! I let some go in my yard, too! Thank you, too!

[@kerrijohnson1985]

Yes I'm in Texas and it grows here.

[@gingerparr277]

I live in East Texas and have many in my yard, I’ve also come across them on the roadside going into a state park in Central Texas.

[@dustygriffis999]

So why can’t you just eat the plant or grind it up and put in capsules

[@PreppingWithSarge]

I’m jealous! It doesn’t grow well here

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

I'm definitely fortunate to have some around! Thanks, Sarge!

[@bigoldgrizzly]

@@OkanaganGardenerandForager ours regularly grows to 8+ feet and is a bit of a pest

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

@@bigoldgrizzly wow! That's huge! Yeah, they can cause some problems in some areas. Thanks!

[@donnachaobrien90]

You can smoke it?! 😃

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

Yes, you can!

[@chrisgoldbach4450]

Guess I'm harvesting seeds 😂

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

They're good for stuff, too!

[@chrisgoldbach4450]

@@OkanaganGardenerandForager more for the coming years. I haven't smoked it yet but I keep hearing it helps the lungs

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

@chrisgoldbach4450 when I've smoked it, I felt like it helped to clear out my lungs.

[@chrisgoldbach4450]

@@OkanaganGardenerandForager I'll give it a try then. It's in flower now but I guess I'll grab a leaf and put it in the dehydrator with low heat.

[@idipped2521]

Smoking anything will make you cough things up, it’s better to take orally

[@OkanaganGardenerandForager]

That might be a good option. Thank you!

[@tammyhoushour8070]

I think lamb's ear would make a better toilet paper.

[@gingerparr277]

This is wider than the lambs ear I’ve seen, and is very soft and gentle feeling, but I’ve not had a need to try it in that way

[@jeraldine4694]

The hairs are they fuzzy like kitten ears