# Not sure if plant or weed - Mullein



## homemom

There is something growing in my back yard. I am not sure if it is a plant or weed. It has several green leaves and they are tear drop shaped. They are really fuzzy and soft. I thought it was lambs ear but the only picture I saw online was a dark green leaf and large and this is a very pale green leaf and small. Any ideas? Thanks


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## Tater'sPa

I may be able to help if you could be a lil more specific. 
Your location, height of plant, do the leaves grow off a stem? is it a spreading type plant? or just a single plant?
;-)


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## j3nnif3r

Probably need more information, but my first thought was yarrow, maybe?


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## homemom

I am sorry for not giving more info. The plant is all by itself in my back yard. It looked at first like a tiny head of lettuce first coming up. The leaves are all light green and very soft and fuzzy. Right now it is about three inches tall. I looked at the picture of the yarrow and this is not it. I will try to borrow my DM camera today and see if I can get a picture. I will try to do this by the afternoon. Thank you for your help.


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## marvella

i bet it's mullein, with the light green, soft and fuzzy leaves.

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/img/veth1.jpg

i didn't find any really good pictures, but this is what it looks like in bloom. it seems to prefer rocky roadsides and is excellent for asthma of other breathing difficulties.

you could always go ahead and let it grow out and see what it turns into. if it turns out to be something you consider a weed ( i don't beleive in weeds) just pull it up, or cut it down, before it sets seed. and lots of times it is easier to ID a plant after it blooms.


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## Tater'sPa

I'm with Marvella, Here's a picture link to mullein in the first year growth stage
Mullein first stage
Does that look like it?

Benifits reported-include treatment for sore or horseness of throat, broncidis,congested coughs or asthma. 
Flowers infused in olive oil said to be helpful ear drops for earaches.
Tea from the flowers helpful with UT inflamations, used as sedative for sleeplessness. 
And much more!


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## homemom

Thank you that is it (Mullein). Boy you guys are good. Well I guess I don't need to do a picture since the picture you put on is exactly what is growing in my back yard. Since I now know what it is what part do you use for these medicinal purposes. The leaves, flowers or roots. Thank you for all your help. Tracy


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## marvella

homemom said:


> Thank you that is it (Mullein). Boy you guys are good. Well I guess I don't need to do a picture since the picture you put on is exactly what is growing in my back yard. Since I now know what it is what part do you use for these medicinal purposes. The leaves, flowers or roots. Thank you for all your help. Tracy



i've heard of people picking individual flowers and making tinctures out of them, but all i ever do is collect and dry the leaves. they can be smoked to relieve an asthma attack, or made into a tea for the relaxing parts of it.


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## homemom

Great thank you again.


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## Vera

marvella said:


> i bet it's mullein, with the light green, soft and fuzzy leaves.
> 
> http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/img/veth1.jpg
> 
> i didn't find any really good pictures, but this is what it looks like in bloom. it seems to prefer rocky roadsides and is excellent for asthma of other breathing difficulties...


That's the plant that's growing all over here - likes rocky anything, drought-resistant, tolerates cold winters and hot summers and is basically indestructible. I bet that's why it's classified as a weed, LOL! Looks like I'll be harvesting leaves for my own use this year, in addition to feeding it to the rabbits again. They love the stuff.

*Says with red face*: I've been calling this "King's Candle" for years and been mowing it down without pity. Whoops.


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## Tater'sPa

> *Says with red face*: I've been calling this "King's Candle" for years and been mowing it down without pity. Whoops.


Vera, there are many common names for this plant (Verbascum thapsis)-
King's Candle is one as are Candlewick Plant, Blanket Leaf, Our Lady's Flannel, Punchon, Shepherd's Club, Velvet Dock, Woolly Mullein, Flannel Plant, Common Mullein, Velvet Plant, Jacob's Staff, Flannel Leaf.

A good idea would be to find one going to seed, pick a spot where you'd rather it grow & sow your seeds there.  We've done this with a lot of weeds...er..uh I mean plants :haha:


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## bare

There's an old retired railroad feller in town who is an avid birder and organic gardener. He's a real interesting character! He has a mullein plant in his garden that he composts and cares for that is over 20 feet tall and that he can't reach around!


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## woodenfires

This plant helps makes a great cough syrup when mixed with new white pine stems, bark from wild cherry and some red clover. The leaves are all I know that make this plant useful but I believe there may be uses for other parts, I will ask around . The leaves are also commonly known as "natures toiletpaper". Its known as a weed but can be gorgeous to look at also if grown in the right spot, maybe as a background plant.


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## Raftercat5

marvella said:


> i bet it's mullein, with the light green, soft and fuzzy leaves.
> 
> http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/img/veth1.jpg
> you could always go ahead and let it grow out and see what it turns into.
> 
> Hi - still a newbie here, but was interested in what this plant was too. I have something growing here in Cheraw, SC that has fuzzy leaves like lambs ears, but grows the most beautiful purplish-blue flowers on a single stalk, kind of like loosely spaced hyacinth blooms. It grows about one foot tall, and after the flowers fade, the seeds are in a pod, not unlike a small bean. I collected the seeds last summer and scattered them up and down my driveway, but don't see anything growing there yet. I still have some in the open fields, tho. Very sandy soil and lots of pines here. Any ideas what it might be? Also, how do you post pics here?


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## AngieM2

raftercat - the instructions on the photos are in one of the top threads taht are stickied here. 

Go give it a try. I do know that .bmp's are not accepted by this s/w.

Angie


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