Also known as, “Flannel mullein”, “Great mullein”, and “Poor man’s tobacco”.
Flowers June to September.
Leaves are covered with felt-like gray hairs that break the force of the wind thus lessening water loss through evaporation.
Has many historical uses. In the past, the flowers were boiled to make hair dye, and the leaves were placed in moccasins as insulation against the cold. Tea was brewed from the leaves for colds, and its vapors were inhaled for throat irritation. The early settlers would soak the leaves in hot vinegar and water to form a poultice that was applied to external irritations and wounds. In Mexico, the leaves were smoked for asthma.
