Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Haves, wants for spring swap, 1 by hart

hart wrote:
I'm doing a separate post on this. See above for other plants I have. There are 3-4 nice great mullein/verbascum plants that have seeded themselves in one little section of one of my flower beds. This is a wild plant but a lot of people use them in beds for height, the yellow flowers and the interesting foliage.

If any of you want them, I'll pot them up for the swap. They should bloom this year since this is their second year and they are biennials.

I just had to post this information that I found while looking for pictures - those of you with children please note the uses of the his plant for children taken by fairies. LOL Below that is a link to some pretty decent photos.

Also known as Turkish Mullein, Lady's Foxglove, Graveyard Dust, Cow's Lungwort, Aaron's Rod, Beggars Blanket, Flannel Petticoats, Flannel Flower, and The Virgin Mary's Candle (the poor used the spikes as candles). Caterpillars seem to like it! Roman women would dye their hair yellow with the plant's flowers. The name Verbascum may come from the Latin "barbascum", meaning bearded, because the plant is so woolly. Another name for the plant is Hag's Taper, because witches would light the stems to use as torches to guide them to their covens.

Mullein is from the same family as Figwort. A biennial plant, growing in hedgerows and wasteland. Grows to about 6 ft (1.2 m) high. Typical cottage garden plant, particularly in Tudor times. The Roman herbalist, Trallianus, was said to use the plant's ashes to render grey hair back to its original colour.

The leaves are tough and would be put into children's shoes if their shoes were wearing out. Native American Indians would also use the leaves similarly to line their moccasins. The plant has been used for treating diarrhoea and chest ailments. Also used as a cure for coughing in cows - hence its other name of Cow's Lungwort. Plant self-seeds well, and is cultivated in Ireland for treating lung disorders. Mullein oil can be used for earache - although do not use if the eardrum has ruptured. Crushed flowers are said to remove warts. Plant has anti-TB properties. It used to be believed that a small piece of the plant taken regularly would prolong one's life.

Ulysses was given a Mullein stalk by the gods for defence against the beautiful but evil Circe. Henceforth, the plant was believed to have valuable protective properties. If you are journeying into the wild, wear Mullein around your neck to prevent animal attack. Dried leaves were smoked by American Indians, and are also smoked in pipes to help relieve smoker's cough. Seeds used to be thrown into fishing waters in the belief that the fish would be drugged if they ate them and therefore would be easy to catch.

The plant can be used to bring back children who have been abducted by fairies. A little Mullein under your pillow at night can prevent nightmares. A dried bunch of Mullein hanging over your door will prevent evil spirits from entering. A small amount of Mullein in your pocket will attract love.

The flowers make a tea for decreasing pain and encouraging sleep. Inhale the steam for congestion. Crushed flowers are also said to remove warts. Can be used to treat ringworm. Put Mullein in your shoes to prevent colds. Flowers and olive oil used for frost bite and bruises.

Food plant of honeybees, bumblebees and sawflies, and the Mullein moth and Striped Lychnis moth caterpillars.

http://waddell.ci.manchester.ct.us/id_mullein.html
http://www.herbarium.lsu.edu/stinger/GFG000617.jpg