ID Confirmed: Mullein

Other plants we have or landscape elements like ponds.

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bigone5500
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ID Confirmed: Mullein

Post by bigone5500 »

This started growing about 4 weeks ago in front of my house and has been getting bigger ever since. I think it's a weed but my wife doesn't want to kill it. The leaves are thick and fuzzy. Currently it is about 24" in diameter.
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Last edited by bigone5500 on Sat May 08, 2010 6:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
stevelau1911
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Re: Can someone ID this plant?

Post by stevelau1911 »

Looks like you have yourself a pretty big lambs ear plant. It will send out a tall flower stalk. I see them growing around here sometimes and they don't seem very invasive and with their soft leaves they're also harmless.
bigone5500
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Re: Can someone ID this plant?

Post by bigone5500 »

I'm not sure, but I think I may have a variant of Mullein. I have looked also and this one doesn't look like Lamb's Ear. The leaves are much larger.
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needmore
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Re: Can someone ID this plant?

Post by needmore »

bigone5500 wrote:I'm not sure, but I think I may have a variant of Mullein. I have looked also and this one doesn't look like Lamb's Ear. The leaves are much larger.

Yep, mullein, mine send up a stem about 4-6 feet tall that eventually has a flush of yellow flowers up/down it.
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bigone5500
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Re: Can someone ID this plant?

Post by bigone5500 »

needmore wrote:
bigone5500 wrote:I'm not sure, but I think I may have a variant of Mullein. I have looked also and this one doesn't look like Lamb's Ear. The leaves are much larger.

Yep, mullein, mine send up a stem about 4-6 feet tall that eventually has a flush of yellow flowers up/down it.
From what I have read, you can use mullein as herbal remedies such as ear infections and expectorants (I'll stick with OTC meds). the one I have is a first year plant but next year it should get the tall stem such as yours.
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Iowaboo
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Re: ID Confirmed: Mullein

Post by Iowaboo »

natives smoked it
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Iowaboo
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Re: ID Confirmed: Mullein

Post by Iowaboo »

I could imagine one guy in the tribe being in charge to test smoking all the plants and see what's the best. He was the first mammal known as smokey bear.
bigone5500
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Re: ID Confirmed: Mullein

Post by bigone5500 »

Iowaboo wrote:I could imagine one guy in the tribe being in charge to test smoking all the plants and see what's the best. He was the first mammal known as smokey bear.
I thought his name was 'Soaring Eagle'...LOL!!
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Re: ID Confirmed: Mullein

Post by needmore »

I've seen it as an ingredient listed in smoke mixtures that are purported to be 'beneficial' to the lungs - not quite sure how that could be.

BTW - the leaves on yours are much more heavily lobed than on mine if I am remembering correctly, so I'll be curious to learn if the flowers are the same. Do you have native yucca there as we do here? That is another one with an interesting tall flower spike.
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bigone5500
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Re: ID Confirmed: Mullein

Post by bigone5500 »

needmore wrote:I've seen it as an ingredient listed in smoke mixtures that are purported to be 'beneficial' to the lungs - not quite sure how that could be.

BTW - the leaves on yours are much more heavily lobed than on mine if I am remembering correctly, so I'll be curious to learn if the flowers are the same. Do you have native yucca there as we do here? That is another one with an interesting tall flower spike.
I'm not really sure but I don't think so. However, we can get them at nurseries and they will grow.
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