| Other Common Names:
Flannel Mullein, Aaron's Rod, Poor Man's Tobacco
Family: Snapdragon
(Scrophulariaceae)
Height: 2 - 6' (60 -
180 cm)
Flower Size: 3/4 - 1"
(2 - 2.5 cm) wide
Flowering Season: June
- September
Ecological Preferences:
Poor fields, sandy soils
Select Characteristics:
Leaves are covered with a dense mat of soft, minute
hairs, giving it the feel of flannel. A
biennial, only growing a rosette of large
leaves during the first year. The second year brings
a long stalk with the flower cluster.
Historical Significance:
Common Mullein is considered an alien or exotic
plant since it was not a native prairie plant. It is
included on this web site because almost certainly
you will see it and wonder what it is. It came with
the earliest of European settlers. It is said that
Roman soldiers dipped the dried flower clusters in
grease and carried the stalks as torches. The Greeks
apparently used the leaves as lamp wicks. Native
Americans used the leaves to line their moccasins.
The leaves were smoked to treat asthma and
bronchitis. A tea was made to treat colds. Parts
have been used as a fish poison. Some say it can be
an acceptable toilet paper substitute, while others
say that it may cause skin irritation. While
the jury may out, it is still a better option than
poison ivy.
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