Mullein

As you travel along highways in the United States, tall mullein spikes are visible in wastelands along the roadway. Downy mullein leaves are an age old folk medicine for chest complaints. Oil from the flowers is often used for ear problems.

Coughs Gather the leaves in late summer before the plant flowers; tie, hang, and dry the leaves in a cool, airy place. In many parts of Europe and the British Isles, two tablespoons of dried mullein leaves are added to two large cups of milk, simmered for about ten minutes, strained, and drunk warm twice a day to alleviate chest problems. The taste of this preparation is rather gummy, slightly bitter, but restorative.

The dried leaves can also be smoked, or added to other leaves such as coltsfoot or elecampane, to help relieve longstanding coughs, and to help relieve nasal and chest irritations.

Ears The oil made from the flowers can be purchased from several reliable homeopathic pharmacies and some botanic sources. If you have a stand of mullein, gather the tiny flowers, steep them in olive oil, and stand the oil in the sun for three weeks. Turn the bottle each day.

This preparation is a bactericide. Furthermore, two or three drops of the mullein oil in the ear may alleviate ear pain and help to eliminate dry eczema of the ear. For persistent ear problems, check your health professional.

Bedwetting My grandmother had a lot of faith in mullein oil to control bedwetting of children. She advised five drops of the oil in a teaspoon of cold water three to four times a day.