Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Verbascum thapsus
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Part used: Leaf, Flower
Taste: Sweet, Bland
Temperature: Neutral
Moisture: Moist

On moisture, Gerard (1633), Culpeper (1653) and Salmon (1710) read it as dry. The app keeps moist, the modern reading of what the herb does in the body; the old readings are shown here but do not change it.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Generally safe

While breastfeeding

Excellent safety; compatible with breastfeeding.

For children

One of the safest herbs; widely used for children's respiratory complaints

Cautions

Filter tea through cloth (leaf hairs irritating to throat)

General contraindications

Generally considered safe

Stewardship

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a biennial that naturalizes in disturbed ground. Leaves year one, flower stalk year two. Stewardship: the roadside torch — a plant that thrives where land is disrupted teaches about regeneration.

In the traditional record

Mullein — Verbascum referenced by Dioscorides (70 CE) in De Materia Medica; mentioned in Roman chronicles

Which herbs suit your body?

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Take the free assessment Open Mullein in the Apothecary

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.