California Poppy

I’m so super excited to share that the gorgeous Mullein plants are flowering on the farm!  These majestic beauties are such a gift, and a true sign that the land here is healing after four years of love, nurturing, and care. This is the 2nd year the mullein has grown here, and the 1st year it’s flowering.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a biennial plant. In its first year, it forms a fuzzy leaves. In its second year, it sends up a tall stalk with dense clusters of bright yellow flowers—absolutely magical!

A Gift from the Land

Watching these plants thrive shows me that we are on a good path healing the land! Mullein is known for growing in poor soil and unexpected places, so when it chooses to flower here, I feel like it’s giving thanks. I’m so grateful!

This plant lives for two years, but it also re-seeds itself. In the fall, I plan to gently break apart the stalks and lay them on the ground to help scatter seeds and hopefully encourage more mullein to grow next year.

Harvesting Mullein Flowers 

I’ve been gathering the flowers every morning. They don’g bloom all at once. Instead, just a few open each day throughout the summer. The flowers are clustered densely along the stalk, and it’s important to leave plenty for our lovely polinators.. 

If you find flowers that have fallen into the leaves or onto the ground, it’s perfectly okay to use them. I collect them gently and lay them on a paper towel to dry. They are loke GOLD —precious, powerful, and beautiful.

Leaves for Tea and Tincture

You can harvest the leaves at any time, though the ideal window is before folowering. However, if you’re waiting for the flowers, it’s fine to harvest the leaves after they bloom—just be sure to leave some so it can store energy for winter.

To dry the leaves, I hang them in a cool, dry place. Once crisp, I tear them into small pieces and store them in a jar. From there, you can make:

• Mullein Tea:
  Use 1 teaspoon of dried leaf (and flower) per 1 cup hot water.
  Steep 15 minutes, strain well and enjoy.
• Mullein Tincture:
  Fill a jar halfway with dried leaves (and dreid flowers) Cover with vodka.
  Let sit 14–30 days, shaking daily. Strain and store in a dropper bottle.
• Ear oil for ear ache: fill a small jar with dried flowers and cover with organic olive oil. Let steep 30 days, strain.

This plant just keeps giving, it is one of my favorites.

Final Thoughts

Every time I walk by these flowering stalks, I’m reminded that healing takes time, but it also brings beauty. The land here on the farm in Tennessee is showing me how resilient it is—and how nature always finds a way to say thank you.

Here’s to more mullein, more flowers, more healing. 

BellaSoul Farm TN