What Happens if You Smoke Mullein?

Common mullein is a well-known plant that has been “smoked” for centuries and is known to treat lung issues due to its expectorant nature. Now, what does this mean? In a nutshell, it will break up congestion and make coughing more productive.

Mullein – Medicinal Benefits

All parts of mullein have been used to treat many different ailments but the dried leaves are what have been used to smoke since the inhaling of the burning leaves is what provides the treatment. As mentioned before, smoking mullein provides treatment for lung issues but what are these issues?

Smoking this herb can help with influenza, asthma attacks, bronchitis, and pneumonia. But how does this work? Mullein contains chemicals called saponins. These chemicals help break down the mucus in the lungs and make it easier for you to cough it up and get it out. This, in turn, reduces the chances of developing an infection from the gunk in your lungs.  A second benefit of smoking this herb comes from its antibacterial properties.

Sounds great, right but mullein is not intended for long-term use. It should only be used occasionally when you have a respiratory issue.

A tincture made by soaking mullein leaves and flowers in alcohol is another way to extract the beneficial compounds of this useful plant. (available in the Apothecary)

How to Smoke Mullein

When it comes to smoking mullein, you will need to know that it is tasteless and the plain dried leaves do not burn very well. In doing so, you will need to add just a small amount of water to the leaves to aid in the burning. While you could just smoke mullein, it is better to combine some other healthy herbs to add some flavor to the mix. One recipe you may want to try is equal parts of dried mullein leaf, peppermint leaf, and thyme leaf.

Place the dried ingredients in a mortar and pestle to grind to a fine powder. To add the moisture, apply one teaspoon of water to every six teaspoons of dried herb mix. Place the moistened ingredients in roll paper or in a pipe.

Ok, now the herb mixture is ready to smoke but do not smoke more often than every two hours.  Also, this treatment is not a long-term solution to respiratory issues. In doing so, do not smoke longer than two weeks. At this point, if you are still having problems go to the doctor.

Related: The Easiest Way to Defeat Seasonal Allergies, Boost Lung health, And Calm Asthma. Visit the Apothecary today to learn more!

How to Harvest and Dry Mullein Leaves

Now finding dried mullein leaf is not hard to find but did you know you can dry your own with not much effort? Well, the answer is yes and the process begins by finding common mullein growing around your area.

This plant is easy to identify since the leaves are very soft and they grow in a rosette shape. Common mullein is a biennial, which means it produces leaves the first year. The leaf growth continues in the second year until the flower stalk is formed. Once that has happened, the leaf growth stops, flowers are produced, and then the plant dies. At this point you may be going, oh my but do not worry. This plant reseeds easily and you will find double sometimes triple the amount of plants you started with.

Beyond the soft grey leaves, the flower stalk produces bright yellow flowers but once you see these, it is too late to harvest the leaves. I simply mention this as another way of identifying the plant.

When it comes to harvesting the leaves, there are two ways to do it. One is to just cut the rosette even with the ground. After that is done, tie the rosette up and hang it in a warm area away from direct light. Now, the positive to this approach is you get your harvesting done quickly but the negative is the fact that you have left no leaves.

The second approach is to harvest individual leaves and place them in a single layer to dry. As you can see, the technique above saves time. Now, you may wonder which approach I use and the answer is both.

For common mullein that is on it first-year growth, I will harvest the young leaves in the spring. I leave enough growth so that the plant can carry over into the next year. In the late summer to early fall, I cut the whole rosette before the flower stalk appears. To keep my living supply of common mullein growing, I do not do the complete cut on every plant that is on its second-year growth. My selection is simply harvesting those plants with the biggest rosette, which means more leaves.

When it comes to drying individual leaves, the key is to make sure that the leaves are in a single layer that is not overlapping.  While it should only take a few days for the leaves to dry, you will need to check on them daily and flip them so that all sides of the leaf dries. If you are new to drying herbs, you may want to follow this advice. Once you think the herbs are dry, let them dry another day or two because you cannot use moldy herbs.

How to Store Mullein

Once you feel they are dry, processing comes up into the discussion. I like to store my herbs whole in paper bags. The reason for storing them whole is it gives me the freedom to “grind” them fresh so to speak. The reason I use paper bags is to make sure my herbs do not mold. A few years ago, I stored some herbs in glass jars and ended up with a moldy mess. Since then, I have chosen to use paper bags that I store away from direct sunlight.

Another reason I store my leaves whole ties back into process the mullein for smoking. I have found that “grinding” herbs together whole tends to make the mixture stronger. In this example, all the herbs are ground together whole so that all the herbal oils in the dried plant material can mix compared to using already powdered ingredients.

Herbal Smoking Blend

Now while you are mediating through the process of grinding your herbal blend to smoke, you may wonder why adding the two others herbs. Well, the addition of peppermint has already been covered and it is for taste but what about thyme. Oh the humble thyme is another herb that is used as treatment for respiratory problems, such as whooping cough and the common cold. In doing so, adding this to mullein gives you a double-dose treatment for respiratory issues.

The Bottom Line

An outstanding expectorant, mullein lessens mucus formation and encourages the expulsion of phlegm, helping to ease the tightness of breathing. It also calms coughing fits and wheezing, and is often used for asthma and COPD.

With the cold and influenza season in full swing, we need all the help we can get to keep our immune systems healthy and strong. Here are a few of Nicole’s top picks that are found in our Essential Winter Defense Bundle. Whether maintaining lung health, boosting immunity, or reducing fevers, each herb supports overall well-being this winter and beyond.

Safety: If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do not use mullein. Allergic reactions include skin irritations, stomach pain, and breathing difficulties. If you experience any of these symptoms, discontinue use.

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