Mullein is a stately plant from the Norichen family. Its homeland is the Mediterranean, the USA and East Asia. The plant is also known by its Latin name - verbascum, but in our country it is not used so often. Attracts mullein with plentiful flowering. The tops of its stems are completely hidden under bright, fragrant flowers. Not a single passerby can pass by without admiring the yellow, pink or snow-white inflorescences. Bright flowers attract birds and beneficial insects, so the garden from early morning will be filled with twittering and buzzing. In the care, the mullein is completely unpretentious, and its beautiful flowers not only please the eye, but also help to improve health.
Botanical Description
Mullein is a biennial or perennial plant, although annuals are also found in nature. It has a strong rod rhizome and an upright, almost unbranched stalk 0.5-3 m high. At the base is a fairly thick basal leaf rosette. The lower leaves have petioles half the length of the leaf plate. Above the stem is sessile foliage. It is mounted opposite or in a spiral. Leaflets have a solid oval or heart-shaped leaf plate. Their entire surface, as well as shoots and flowers, are densely covered with felt pile. Shoots and foliage are painted in dark green or gray-green.
From the second year of life, a long stem develops over a leaf rosette, which is crowned with an inflorescence. A flowering spike consists of several tiers of buds. At the bottom are bundles of 4-7 corollas, and at the top is a bundle of 1-4 smaller flowers. The diameter of the corolla is about 2 cm. It consists of yellow drooping petals and has a tubular or funnel shape. Under the fluffy, wide-open petals, 5 stamens are hidden, different in size and shape. Flowering continues throughout the summer.
After pollination, a small oblong seed box matures. She is also densely pubescent. Inside are small oblong seeds. Their rough surface is painted in yellow-brown color.
Mullein species
The genus of mullein is very diverse, more than 250 species of plants are registered in it. Only a few are found in Russia. They are adapted to climatic conditions, and also have excellent healing properties.
Mullein is scepter-like (densely flowered). A plant 20-120 cm tall has a thick, straight stem that is densely covered with foliage. The lower oval leaves reach 10-40 cm in length, and the size of the upper is only 4-10 cm. A long spike inflorescence is dotted with bunches of yellow flowers. For the similarity of inflorescences with the royal royal scepter, the variety got its name. The diameter of each corolla is 3.5-5 cm. Fresh flowers have a delicate pleasant aroma, and dried flowers have a more saturated honey smell.
Common Mullein (bear ear). All parts of the plant are densely pubescent with a long silvery pile. Dark green foliage is located almost along the entire length of the shoot, and only the very top is crowned with a short spike-shaped inflorescence. The lower petiole leaves are 15-30 cm long. Their size gradually decreases upward. Due to the gradually shrinking leaves, the plant from a distance resembles a cone. The inflorescence consists of many small flowers with a diameter of up to 2 cm.
Mullein is black. A plant 50-120 cm tall has erect stems. Large foliage is located only in the lower third of the shoot. The lower petiole leaves are ovoid or heart-shaped. They are 20 cm long. The long inflorescence is covered with bunches of small yellow flowers. Brown spots are located at the base of the petals, and the stamens are decorated with lilac villi.
Mullein officinalis. Stems 0.5-1.5 m tall are densely covered with leaves. In the upper part there is a long inflorescence, which sometimes branches into several shoots. All parts of the plant are covered with thick felt pile. Oval leaves with a blunt edge in length are 15-25 cm. Flowers with soft, long petals are grouped along the entire length of the inflorescence. Their diameter is 3.5-5.5 cm. Anthers are painted in red.
Mullein is hybrid. This decorative variety was obtained by interspecific crossing. Its advantage is large flowers of the most diverse colors. The height of the shoots depends on the variety and can be less than 50 cm or almost 1.8 m. Popular varieties:
- Mont Blanc - a tall plant with large snow-white flowers;
- Herry Helen - the inflorescence consists of large (up to 10 cm in diameter) bright pink flowers;
- Jackie - a dwarf variety up to 45 cm high covered with smoky pink flowers;
- Pink Domino - orange stains are visible on large raspberry flowers.
Breeding methods
Mullein reproduction can be carried out by sowing seeds or rooting cuttings. Seeds retain their germination for a long time and are resistant to frost, so you can sow them immediately in open ground. The plant also often gives self-seeding. Due to the rod root, which goes deep into the soil, it is not worth replanting the mullein. Therefore, crops for seedlings are impractical. In open ground, seeds are sown immediately in a permanent place. Do this in mid-May or later, when the average daily temperature is set at + 13 ... + 18 ° C. Shoots appear after 1-2 weeks. In the first month, seedlings grow very slowly. Later they develop quite quickly and do not require much care. Flowering is expected in the second year of life. It should be remembered that mullein is easily pollinated, so seedlings can be very different from mother plants.
To save varietal characteristics helps cuttings. Cuttings should be cut after the end of the flowering period (August-September), then the likelihood of successful rooting will become much more. The main plant with basal processes is dug up and freed from the ground. The root is cut into several parts with buds or small shoots. The length of each rhizome should be at least 5-7 cm. Delenki is laid horizontally in prepared wells. First, they are covered with a layer of sand with a thickness of 5 mm, and on top - with earth to a height of 15-20 mm. A distance of 40 cm must be observed between the seedlings.
Care Rules
Mullein is unpretentious and not burdensome plant. Even a novice can take care of it. For normal development, the plant needs an open sunny place. Slight shading is allowed, but with a significant lack of sunlight, the plant will develop worse.
The soil for planting should be loose and light. A sufficient amount of sand, gravel and peat should be added to the clay soil. It is better if the land has moderate fertility. Then the mullein can grow on it for several years. But on nutrient soils, it develops worse and often dies at the end of the season.
Watering the mullein is necessary only in dry weather. A small amount of water is enough. Between irrigation, the soil should dry well. For a root that goes deep enough into the ground, feeding on groundwater will not be a problem. But frequent and prolonged stagnation of moisture in the soil will certainly lead to decay of the roots and death of the plant.
Fertilizing mullein is extremely rare. One fertilizer with a mineral complex during the flowering period is enough. If the soil is fertile, then they do without fertilizing at all.
In order for the mullein to live longer than two years, it is recommended to cut off the inflorescence before the seeds ripen. Hybrid varieties after pruning are able to bloom repeatedly in the same year.
Garden use
Tall plants with such large and beautiful flowers will not go unnoticed in the garden. Especially when it comes to decorative varieties with different colors of petals. Throughout the summer, the mullein will attract insects and birds. It begins to bloom when the primroses have already withered, and later perennials have not yet formed buds. Thus, the mullein fills a pause in flowering. It is important to choose the right neighbors so that the flower garden looks harmonious. They can be orchis, catnip, salvia, anaphalis, sage.
Mullein thickets are also used as a background in the background of flower beds. It can be planted in small groups in the middle of the lawn, in rockeries or along paths.
The healing properties of the plant
Many varieties of mullein are used in folk medicine. Its flowers, roots and shoots are rich in tannins, vitamins, mucus, essential oils, flavonoids. Oils, alcohol tinctures and decoctions from various parts of the plant are used as anti-inflammatory, expectorant, hemostatic and antimicrobial agents.
Decoctions of flowers are used to thin thick sputum in the bronchi and lungs. Fresh juice is rubbed into the warts to get rid of them. Compresses and masks based on the decoction help fight acne. Alcohol and water tinctures are taken for cystitis, bronchial asthma, hypertension, colds, rheumatism. Mullein is widely used in hemorrhoids, lichen, tuberculosis, as well as liver and gastrointestinal diseases. To prevent infection from entering the wounds, burnt tissues or cracks on the feet, they are sprinkled with dry mullein powder.
The procurement of medicinal raw materials is carried out during the flowering period. It is important to remember that each flower lives only one day and fades by evening. The collection of whole corollas is carried out in the morning. They are dried under a canopy or in drying ovens at temperatures up to 50 ° C. Completely dry raw materials are stored in cloth or paper bags for two years.
Mullein has no contraindications, but it should be taken with caution to people prone to allergies. All drugs must be carefully filtered through several layers of tissue. Even a small amount of villi causes severe irritation of the stomach and mucous membranes.
