Mullein -SAVANNA

Mullein /Verbascum Thapusus

Order: Lamiales Family: Scrophulariaceae Genus: Verbascum

-Soft, fuzzy, strikingly large, flannel-like, velvety-woolly, long-oval, gray-green, leaves nearly two feet long (leaves make up the first year basal rosette).

-First leaves spread into a circle along the ground, sheltering the plant and maximizing the sunlight. The second year, the basal leaves precede a stout, erect flowerstalk that may reach six feet in height.
-The flowers bloom sequentially from late spring to early fall, growing in long, tight, spikes. They're yellow, with five radially-symmetrical petals, about 1-1/2" across.

Special Adapatations:

-Mullein grows in old fields, roadsides, and disturbed habitats throughout the United States It does well in dry, sandy conditions, especially in alkaline soil, so itís especially common near the seashore.

-Mullein tea provides vitamins B-2, B-5, B-12, and D, choline, hesperidin, PABA, sulfur, magnesium, mucilage, saponins, and other active substances.
People use the tea as a beverage, but it's best known as one of the safest, most effective herbal cough remedies. Mullein is an expectorant, and a tonic for the lungs, mucus membranes, and glands.