I ran across the common weedy plant mullein (Verbascum thapsus) when I took a walk on my sister’s ranch. The ranch is just outside Kamloops and at the time the ground was still brown. On the way home we would narrowly avoid a nasty snow storm on the Coquihalla highway.
What I noticed first
The flower spike on the common mullein is tough and very hard to pull out. I tried to pull it out with all my might, using my city landscaper hands and muscles. Since I couldn’t do it I had to listen to stories from my son about playing too much FIFA17.
Details
Back inside the house I picked up a guide on weeds and keyed out the weed. There it was, common mullein Verbascum thapsus. There are also landscape and garden varieties available but this was a ranch so we only got the common mullein. In gardening people appreciate the plant’s tall narrow stature and the fact that it flowers over a long period of time. Personally, I dislike plants with spiky stalks.
Mullein is a drought-tolerant plant and produces lots of seeds. Supposedly you can easily grow it from seed. It’s a deep tap-rooted biennial which grows to two meters. Deep tap-rooted? Of course. No wonder I couldn’t pull it out.
We find the plant in idle areas, pastures and rangelands. It likes sandy to very coarse rocky soils. So the ranch I was walking through had perfect growing conditions for this weed.
Mullein sports large, soft and very hairy leaves. You can make them into bitter tea. Flowers make a sweeter tea, according to internet sources. I haven’t tried mullein tea but I might.
Rosette and spike
In the first year, mullein produces a rosette of large velvety leaves up to one foot long. In the second year it produces a velvety flower stalk which grows to eight feet.
Fun stuff
In ancient times, the mature stalks were dipped in tallow and used as torches. Thus the name “witch’s-stick”. I’m not sure if witches used the torches or if people used them to keep witches away.
If you are like me, you had to Google “tallow”. The definition says it’s a hard fatty substance made from rendered animal fat, used in making candles and soap. And witch’s torches!
Useful mullein
My internet search uncovered yet another surprise. It turns out that herbalists have used the plant for ages. Mullein teas were used to treat respiratory problems like chest colds, bronchitis, and asthma.
While we often fight weeds in our landscapes they can also be fun and useful. They’re all worth knowing.
