Tea
Mullein tea for coughs
Mullein stands like a yellow torch at the roadside and grows up to two metres tall. The leaves are soft as felt, and the flowers open a few at a time all summer long.
It has been used for dry, irritating coughs as long as anyone can remember. Where thyme loosens mucus, mullein lays itself like a soft film over what is sore. The two work well together.
One thing is not optional: it must be strained thoroughly. The leaves and flowers carry fine hairs, and if they reach the cup they scratch the throat and do exactly the opposite of what was intended.
Ingredients
- 1-2 tsp dried mullein flowers, or 1 tsp dried leaves
- 250 ml boiling water
- Honey to taste
Equipment
- Cup
- Coffee filter or fine strainer
- Plate to cover with
Method
- 1
Pick the flowers one by one in the morning, just as they open. They come away easily, and the plant sets new ones the next day.
- 2
Dry them in a single layer somewhere dark and airy. They should keep their yellow colour, not turn brown.
- 3
Pour over boiling water and cover the cup.
- 4
Steep for 10-15 minutes.
- 5
Strain through a coffee filter, not an ordinary strainer. The hairs must go, or the tea will scratch the throat.
Dosage
2-3 cups daily while the cough lasts.
Shelf life
Dried flowers keep about 1 year, dark and airtight. Drink the tea fresh.
Safety
Strain thoroughly through a coffee filter. The fine hairs irritate the throat if they get through.
Use flowers and leaves. The seeds are toxic and must not be used.
If you are in any doubt that you have found the right plant, leave it. Mullein is easy to recognise by its height and felted leaves, but never forage anything you are not certain of.
Little research exists on mullein in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Leave it be in those periods.
A cough lasting more than three weeks, or one with fever, breathlessness or blood, belongs with a doctor.
How the herbs work
Mullein contains mucilage that settles as a protective layer over a dry, irritated throat. That is why it works best on the cough where there is nothing to bring up, but where it simply rasps.
Where thyme loosens mucus, mullein calms the surface. The two can be used together.
The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.