stalwart sentinels

this is mullein. you know it, but may not know its name. it grows in every state in the u.s. i love mullein–from the 2 meter high tip of coarsely packed seed head, to the bottom of its rosette of fuzzy leaves. what i love most is its year-round presence. the stems are sturdy enough to survive the winter, and poke solemnly up through the snow-pack all winter long, keeping me company on my winter walks. roman soldiers are said to have dipped the plant stalks in grease for use as torches. other cultures use the leaves as wicks. native americans and american colonists lined their shoes with leaves from the plant to keep out the cold. in the western united states residents commonly refer to mullein as “cowboy toilet paper”. it can be used to make natural dyes, and native americans commonly used it in traditional medicine. what’s not to love?

common mullein (Verbascum thapsus)