Advice Whats This?

[scarey55]

I might keep a few for the beneficial insects they attract, just transplant them were i want them.
Now I truely understand the reason for joining this group, Just a truly helpfull bunch of people Thanks to all.

Barry :-)

Pleasure Barry, I"m sure you will have loads of good info for us when we need it. Great place ere innit

[Polly Fouracre]

Yes I think scary55 has got "Mullein (verbascum)" are they any good for anything?

The flowers can be used, in an infusion, to treat throat conditions, laryngitis etc. Also, stomach disorders,gastritis, colitis etc. and as a compress for leg ulcers and skin irritations. As well, if you suffer from piles, infuse the flowers in olive oil and apply.

[Flummery]

We always have a few in the garden. You get the rosette of leaves one year (so if you don't want it there you can oik it out) and the flower spike the next. I love them. They add some height to your plantings and as people have said, the insects love them. You might even get the mullein moth!

[Two_Sheds]

You might even get the mullein moth!

here's the caterpillar:

[Flummery]

Bonny, innit? Not very big though.

[kobifruit]

mullein

hello everyone i'm a newbie.

i did a search for mullein, and found this discussion.

im also very amateur at growing my own.

but as i usually buy dried mullein leaf, for making tea with . so i thought i would get some seeds and plant my own and see what sprouts..

so the seeds arrived today and now i will have to think what to do with them ,,hehe

anyway, what i also wanted to say, is that there may be many of you who are lucky enough to have this weed readily available an who also have varicose vanes .. well this is a very good help if you drink the tea or if the vane is really bad apply a stupe made from the plant..

here is a link which was given by edgar cayce for its use:
MULLEIN TEA AND STUPES The Cayce Health Database

[Flummery]

It grows and seeds freely in my garden. I love it because it sometimes had the caterpillars of the mullein moth on it. The seeds are like dust though - odd considering it's a huge plant!

[kobifruit]

hello flummery,

large is it.

i've never seen the plant in nature. all i have seen is a photo of it , and the dried leaves i buy.

so i hope it will grow here . i have put a few seeds in a propagator tray. and will watch them. and sprikle a few more ouside , as well i think.

[snohare]

large is it

I used to have one in the back garden, which was part of an old railway embankment. It arrived out of nowhere - probably old seed that I had disturbed - it grew to be about ten feet high, and the flower spike actually dipped down and then up again like a hockey stick besides the main stem. Seeing the photo was like meeting an old friend, made me so sentimental !
Yes, big, and impressive, popular with bumblebees if I remember correctly - but cor, I didn't know it was so handy herbally. Thanks for that, Polly and kobi !

[Snadger]

I've grown it for ages but didn't realise it had any culinary uses. I think I will now grow it in one of my herbwheel segments to give a bit of height and foliage colour!

[Flummery]

If I remember correctly it used to be cut and the long seedlhead dipped in tallow for cheap (and smelling) lighting purposes. I'm going back several hundred years now - even longer than I can remember!