Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), also called common mullein or great mullein, is one of the classic respiratory and lung herbs of Western and Eclectic herbal medicine. Its soft, mucilage-rich leaves and bright yellow flowers have been used for centuries to soothe irritated airways, loosen and expel mucus, calm dry and spasmodic coughs, and support the lungs during bronchitis, congestion, and chronic respiratory conditions. Beyond the lungs, mullein flower oil is a traditional remedy for ear pain, and the plant carries documented antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activity that has drawn modern laboratory interest.

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Table of Contents

1. Deep-Dive Articles
2. Overview & Botanical Profile
3. Traditional Use & History
4. Active Compounds
5. Respiratory & Lung Health
6. Cough, Bronchitis & Congestion
7. Antiviral Properties
8. Antibacterial & Antimicrobial Action
9. Ear Health & Ear Infections
10. Skin, Wounds & Inflammation
11. Forms & Preparations
12. Recommended Dosage
13. Cautions & Contraindications
14. Research Papers and References
15. Connections
16. Featured Videos

Overview & Botanical Profile

Mullein is a biennial plant in the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae) native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia and now naturalized across temperate North America, where it is a common sight along roadsides, in disturbed soil, and in dry sunny fields. In its first year it grows as a low rosette of large, broad, silvery-green leaves covered in soft, woolly hairs. In its second year it sends up a tall, unbranched flower spike — often reaching one to two metres — densely studded with five-petalled bright yellow flowers that open a few at a time over the summer.

The medicinal parts are the leaves and flowers. The leaves are prized for their high mucilage content and gentle expectorant action and are the basis of mullein tea and tinctures; the flowers are richer in certain soothing and antimicrobial compounds and are the traditional material for infused ear oil. The seeds are not used internally — they contain naturally insecticidal compounds (see Cautions).

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Traditional Use & History

Mullein has one of the longest continuous records of any respiratory herb, used from classical antiquity through European folk medicine and into the nineteenth-century Eclectic and physiomedical traditions of North America, where it was a staple lung remedy for coughs, bronchitis, and chest complaints. The dried flower spikes, dipped in tallow, were burned as torches, giving the plant common names such as torch plant and candlewick; the soft leaves earned the colloquial name "cowboy toilet paper." The fuller story — including its role in respiratory tonics, smoking blends, and traditional veterinary use — is covered in the dedicated History & Traditional Use article.

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Active Compounds

Mullein's effects come from a complementary set of constituents. The most studied is verbascoside (also called acteoside), a phenylethanoid glycoside with documented anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity. Mullein also contains aucubin and other iridoid glycosides, saponins that contribute to its expectorant action, abundant mucilage (soothing polysaccharides that coat and calm irritated mucous membranes), and a range of flavonoids such as verbascoside-associated phenolics that add antioxidant capacity.

Together these explain mullein's characteristic profile — demulcent (soothing), expectorant (mucus-clearing), anti-inflammatory, and mildly antimicrobial. The detailed chemistry and the mechanisms behind each action are explored in Active Compounds & Pharmacology.

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Respiratory & Lung Health

Mullein's signature use is supporting the lungs and airways. Its mucilage forms a soothing film over inflamed respiratory tissue, easing the raw, scratchy feeling of irritated airways, while its saponins help loosen and mobilise mucus so it can be cleared more easily. This dual demulcent-and-expectorant action makes mullein a favourite for dry, irritated airways and for chronic respiratory conditions where the lining of the airways is inflamed.

The full discussion of how mullein supports lung function, the conditions it is traditionally paired with, and the evidence behind its respiratory reputation is in the Respiratory & Lung Health deep-dive.

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Cough, Bronchitis & Congestion

Because it both soothes and thins mucus, mullein is widely used for coughs of several types — the dry, hacking, tickly cough that nothing seems to settle, the spasmodic cough that comes in fits, and the productive cough of acute and chronic bronchitis where loosening congestion brings relief. Mullein leaf tea and tincture are the usual forms, often combined with other respiratory herbs such as thyme or licorice.

For preparation specifics, complementary herb pairings, and the distinction between using mullein for a dry versus a productive cough, see Cough, Bronchitis & Congestion.

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Antiviral Properties

Laboratory studies have reported that mullein extracts can inhibit certain enveloped viruses, and the herb's phenolic compounds — particularly verbascoside — are the constituents most often credited with this activity. This antiviral interest dovetails with mullein's long traditional use during respiratory infections, though the published work is largely preclinical (laboratory and screening studies) rather than clinical.

The specific viruses studied, the strength and limits of the evidence, and how the antiviral findings relate to traditional use are detailed in Antiviral Properties.

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Antibacterial & Antimicrobial Action

Mullein has demonstrated antibacterial activity in laboratory testing against several organisms relevant to respiratory and ear infections. This antimicrobial action, combined with its anti-inflammatory and soothing effects, is part of why mullein flower oil has long been a component of traditional ear-drop formulas and why the leaf is valued during chest infections.

The bacteria studied and the antimicrobial constituents responsible are covered in Antibacterial & Antimicrobial Action.

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Ear Health & Ear Infections

Mullein flower oil — flowers steeped in a carrier oil, often with garlic — is a classic traditional remedy for earache. Notably, naturopathic ear-drop formulas containing mullein have been studied in children with acute otitis media (middle-ear infection), where they helped reduce ear pain. Mullein's combination of anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity is the rationale behind this use.

One safety rule is non-negotiable: never put any oil, including mullein oil, into an ear if the eardrum may be perforated. The clinical evidence, how the oil is prepared, and the full safety guidance are in Ear Health & Ear Infections.

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Skin, Wounds & Inflammation

Applied externally, mullein has a traditional role in soothing inflamed skin, minor wounds, and hemorrhoids. The mucilage provides a softening, protective layer, while anti-inflammatory verbascoside helps calm irritated tissue. Leaf poultices and infused oils are the usual topical preparations.

The traditional topical uses, preparation methods, and the anti-inflammatory chemistry behind them are explored in Skin, Wounds & Inflammation.

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Forms & Preparations

Mullein is available and used in several forms, each suited to a different purpose:

• Leaf tea (infusion) — the most common preparation; dried leaf steeped in hot water. Always strain the tea well (a fine strainer, coffee filter, or cloth) to remove the tiny leaf hairs, which can otherwise irritate the throat.
• Tincture — an alcohol-based liquid extract of the leaf (and sometimes flower), convenient for cough and respiratory use and easy to dose.
• Ear oil — mullein flowers infused into a carrier oil (often with garlic), used topically in the ear for earache — but only when the eardrum is intact (see Cautions).
• Capsules — dried powdered leaf in capsule form for those who prefer not to make tea.

Step-by-step preparation instructions for each form, including how to make a properly strained tea and a flower-infused oil, are in Forms, Dosage & Safety.

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Recommended Dosage

Mullein is considered a gentle, low-toxicity herb, and traditional dosing ranges are correspondingly broad. The figures below are typical adult guidelines for the common preparations:

• Leaf tea — roughly 1.5–2 g of dried leaf (about 1–2 teaspoons) per cup, steeped 10–15 minutes and strained well; up to three cups daily.
• Tincture — commonly 2–4 mL, two to three times daily, following the product label.
• Capsules — per manufacturer directions, typically a few hundred milligrams to about 1 g of dried leaf, one to three times daily.
• Ear oil — a few drops in the affected ear as directed, only when the eardrum is intact.

Detailed, form-specific dosing — including notes for children and considerations for longer-term use — is provided in Forms, Dosage & Safety.

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Cautions & Contraindications

Mullein is one of the better-tolerated herbs, but a few specific cautions are important:

• Leaf hairs irritate — the fine hairs on mullein leaves can irritate the throat and skin. Always strain mullein tea thoroughly before drinking; some people find handling the fresh leaves prickly.
• Perforated eardrum — never put mullein (or any) oil into an ear with a known or suspected perforated eardrum, or when there is ear drainage, severe pain, or any doubt about the eardrum's integrity. Have ear infections assessed by a clinician.
• Seeds are not for ingestion — mullein seeds contain rotenone and related compounds (historically used to stun fish) and should never be ingested. Use only the leaves and flowers.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding — safety data are limited; use only with professional guidance.
• Allergy — discontinue if any allergic reaction or skin irritation occurs.

Fuller safety guidance is provided in Forms, Dosage & Safety.

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Research Papers and References

The references below combine verified peer-reviewed citations with curated PubMed topic-search links that open directly at the National Library of Medicine. Where a specific paper is cited, its identifier links to that record; broader topics link to a PubMed search that always resolves to current results.

1. Turker AU, Gurel E. "Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus L.): recent advances in research." Phytotherapy Research. 2005;19(9):733–739 — doi:10.1002/ptr.1653
2. "Health-promoting and disease-mitigating potential of Verbascum thapsus L. (common mullein): A review." Phytotherapy Research — doi:10.1002/ptr.7393
3. McCutcheon AR, et al. "Antiviral screening of British Columbian medicinal plants." J Ethnopharmacol. 1995;49(2):101–110 — PubMed: McCutcheon antiviral screening
4. "Antiviral effect and mode of action of methanolic extract of Verbascum thapsus L. on pseudorabies virus (strain RC/79)." — PubMed: 21999656
5. Sarrell EM, Mandelberg A, Cohen HA. "Efficacy of naturopathic extracts in the management of ear pain associated with acute otitis media." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001;155(7):796–799 — PubMed: 11434846
6. Sarrell EM, Cohen HA, Kahan E. "Naturopathic treatment for ear pain in children." Pediatrics. 2003;111(5):e574–e579 — PubMed: 12728110
7. Verbascoside (acteoside): anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pharmacology — PubMed: verbascoside pharmacology
8. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) antibacterial activity — PubMed: Verbascum thapsus antibacterial
9. Mullein mucilage and expectorant / demulcent action in respiratory use — PubMed: mullein respiratory expectorant
10. Aucubin and iridoid glycosides of Verbascum species — PubMed: aucubin Verbascum iridoids
11. Mullein phytochemistry and bioactive constituents — PubMed: mullein phytochemistry
12. Naturopathic herbal ear drops for acute otitis media in children — PubMed: herbal ear drops otitis media

External Authoritative Resources

• NCCIH — Herbs at a Glance
• MedlinePlus — Herbs and Supplements
• PubMed — All research on Verbascum thapsus

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Connections

• Benefits Hub: All Mullein Benefits Deep-Dive Hub
• Deep Dives: Respiratory & Lung Health, Cough, Bronchitis & Congestion, Antiviral Properties, Antibacterial & Antimicrobial Action, Ear Health & Ear Infections, Skin, Wounds & Inflammation, Active Compounds & Pharmacology, History & Traditional Use, Forms, Dosage & Safety
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• Elderberry
• Licorice
• Echinacea
• Asthma
• COPD
• Pneumonia

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