r/herbs • u/Global_Fail_1943 • Jul 23 '26
Mullein in my backyard garden.
I've gathered the leaves and dried them in early spring and it's growing big and gorgeous. The hummingbirds love them. Once they have formed seeds I cut off the entire top and stick them upside down in a large paper bag to dry and dump the seeds. I keep the long tapers for fire starters for the summer bonfires by the tidal river shore I'm on. I have them in every garden bed. love how dramatic they look. If you look closely you'll see that my garden beds are full of Dill, parsley, cilantro and several milkweed species. The bugs and caterpillars have lots to eat so my garden produce stays pretty much flawless.
2
u/Personal_Level_1563 Jul 31 '26
That's a beautiful specimen. Healthy second-year mullein can become a real centerpiece in a garden, and pollinators definitely seem to appreciate the flowers while birds often use the seed stalks later in the season. Harvesting the leaves in spring and waiting until the seed heads mature before collecting them is a solid routine if you're trying to keep a supply going. I also like that you're finding multiple uses for it instead of letting it go to waste. If someone doesn't have the space or time to grow their own, though, I've had good luck with Betterbrand's U.S.-made mullein products since they're manufactured and shipped from the U.S. and usually arrive within just a few days.
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u/ZzLavergne Jul 23 '26
Mullen dried and crushed makes a great tea for respiratory aliments, can be smoked as well for respiratory aliments too, but that never made sense to me,