Mullein Leaf
BotanicalVerbascum thapsusAlso calledMullein, Great mullein, Velvet plant
A soft, woolly leaf brewed into a mild tea, long a Western favorite for keeping the chest and throat comfortable.
Mullein is the tall roadside plant with leaves as soft as flannel and a single yellow flower spike that can reach taller than you. Rub a leaf between your fingers and it feels like felt. Brewed, it makes a mild, slightly earthy tea with a soft golden color.
It is not a classical Ayurvedic herb. Modern Ayurvedic teachers describe it as bitter, astringent and cooling, and place it with herbs for the lungs, prana vaha srotas in Ayurvedic language. It is a herb people tend to reach for when the air turns dry and the season shifts.
Ayurvedic Properties
Not described in classical Ayurveda; modern Ayurvedic writers describe it as bitter and astringent in taste and cooling, with a pungent post-digestive effect (Frawley and Lad, The Yoga of Herbs, and other modern Ayurvedic teachers).
- RasaTastes
- ViryaHeating or cooling
- Cooling
- VipakaPost-digestive effect
- Pungent
- AgniEffect on digestion
- Neutral for agni
Little direct effect on digestion.
- GunaQualities
- TridoshaEffect on Vata, Pitta and Kapha
- Vata: increases in excess
- Pitta: decreases
- Kapha: decreases
- ↓decreases (calms that dosha)
- ↑increases (can aggravate it)
- =neutral or balancing
- ?not known
- V Vata · P Pitta · K Kapha
Mullein's light, cooling quality suits pitta and kapha, especially when the chest feels heavy or warm. Vata types do well blending it with moist herbs like licorice or marshmallow root and a little honey.
Traditional Uses
- Traditionally used to support clear, easy breathing through the respiratory season.
- Traditionally used to support a comfortable throat and chest.
- Traditionally used to support the lungs, or prana vaha srotas, in Western Ayurvedic practice.
How People Use It
- TeaSteep 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaf in a cup of just-boiled water for 10 to 15 minutes. Always strain through a fine cloth or coffee filter, since the leaf's tiny hairs can tickle or irritate the throat.
- HoneyOnce the strained tea has cooled to drinking warmth, a spoonful of raw honey rounds out its mild, earthy taste.
Mullein, Ginger and Honey Evening Tea
A soft, golden cup for dry, windy evenings.
- 2 teaspoons dried mullein leaf
- 2 thin slices fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cut licorice root (skip if you have high blood pressure)
- 2 cups just-boiled water
- Raw honey to taste
- Place the mullein, ginger and licorice in a teapot or jar and pour the water over them.
- Cover and steep for 15 minutes.
- Strain through a fine cloth, a nut milk bag or a paper coffee filter, not just a mesh strainer. This catches the fine hairs from the leaf.
- Let it cool to drinking warmth, stir in honey and sip slowly before bed.
Pairs Well With
Cautions
- Strain mullein tea through a fine cloth or paper filter. The tiny leaf hairs can irritate the mouth and throat.
- Safety research on mullein is limited, including during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Avoid it then unless your midwife or doctor approves.
- Use only the leaf or flower as sold for tea. Mullein seeds are not for internal use.
- If you have a lung condition or are taking any medication, talk with your doctor before using mullein.
- Please consult a qualified practitioner or your doctor before using mullein regularly.
In Our Shop
Organic Mullein Leaf, from $5.75. Weighed and packed by hand at our Rockville Centre studio.
Shop Mullein Leaf →From the Journal
Sources and Further Reading
This page shares how herbs are traditionally used in Ayurveda and other herbal traditions. It is for general education only and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and herbs are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please talk with your doctor or a qualified practitioner before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition.