Mullein-Handbook of Nature Study page 537-539
“This felt on the mullein is beautiful when looked at through the microscope; it consists of a fretwork of little, white, sharp spikes…..I soon discovered another means by which the mullein resists drought, when I tried to dig up the plant with a stick; I followed its taproot down far enough to understand that it was a subsoiler and reached below most other plants for moisture and food.”
HNS, page 537
This is the first time I have left the mullein in the flower bed. I am curious to see just how large it will get and I am anxious for the boys to study the flower stalk once it starts to blossom.
I think I am beginning to see the value of learning about a plant *before* it blooms so we will be vigilantly watching its progress. We read through the information in the Handbook of Nature Study. We had already experienced the long tap root when we were pulling it out of the pathway a few days ago. I would say that the root was about two feet long and at the top it looked like the shape of a carrot. The plants we left in the bed are growing like crazy!
That was our flower this week, now you can pick your flower and see if you can be prepared for your next flower study. 🙂 We have three more flowers we want to study before we finish with Wednesday Flower Study day. You can join us any time you want to, with any flower you want to. You do not need to study the same flower we are if you don’t want to.
I love mullein! It’s also called the “toilet paper plant” because you can use the leaves, well, for you know. The Cherokee use these leaves for smoking once dry and the flowers put in oil are a treatment for earaches/ear infections. You can also make a tea of the dry leaves for bronchial problems. That’s why I love mullein, plus it’s just pretty. Oh, in olden days, the flower stalks were dipped in wax and used for torches, hence “candlstick plant.” See all the fun things we learn?!
Our mullein flower stalks get at least 5 feet tall. That’s probably part of the reason they need such a long taproot. Enjoy!
We went up to see our mullein this morning and met some new characters!