Identifying Mullein and Its 3 Look-Alikes

It’s great to have mullein in your backyard because you can easily access a natural herbal alternative to treat your cold or sore throat. 

The only catch to this is that mullein isn’t the only plant with hairy leaves and tall spikes of yellow flowers. 

Learn how to properly and correctly identify mullein in this article as we also introduce you to its notorious look-alikes!

What is mullein?

Mullein is a biennial herbaceous plant known for its flower stalks that reach up to 6 to 10 feet tall. It is native to Asia, Europe, and North Africa. 

Scientific Name	Verbascum thapsus
Common Name	Beggar’s BlanketMulleinOld Man’s FlannelGreat MulleinAaron’s RodAdam’s FlannelOur Lady’s CandleCommon MulleinWoolly Mullein
Family	Scrophulariaceae
Height	6 to 10 feet tall
Leaves	VelvetyWhorledOvateReaches up to 2 feet wide
Flowers	YellowSpike InflorescenceSaucer-shaped4 to 5 petals
Blooming season	Summer
Stem	GrayPowderyBranched
Fruit	Brown capsule fruitContains 100,000+ seeds
Habitat	Open groundDisturbed soilFieldsRoadsidesPasturesWaste areasMeadows

For its first year, mullein grows a velvety basal rosette of leaves that grow 12 to 15 inches wide. It then develops a tall spike of yellow flowers at the top of its stem.

The flowers of a mullein plant turn into a brown capsule fruit with over 100,000 seeds. It dies after flowering but self-seeds to propagate itself. 

This plant thrives on well-drained dry, sandy, or rocky soil with a slightly acid to neutral pH. Although mullein prefers full sun, it can also tolerate partial shade. 

How to Identify Mullein

The best way to identify mullein is to look for tall spikes of yellow flowers on top of a rosette of hairy green-gray leaves.

Mullein grows a basal rosette of leaves at the bottom, which have a velvety texture and ovate shape and reaches up to 2 feet wide.

In the middle of the mullein plant grows a tall spike inflorescence that reaches 6 to 10 feet tall. Tiny, yellow, tubular, 5-petaled flowers then bloom along the tall spike. 

What are the uses and benefits of mullein?

Mullein is generally a soothing herb for respiratory problems. Its flowers are used as an infusion to treat sore throats, coughs, and ear infections. 

Its leaves, on the other hand, are smoked to treat tuberculosis and asthma. 

Like ancient Roman soldiers, some dip the dried flower stalks in tallow or beef fat and use them as torches. They also use mullein leaves as padding to keep their feet warm.

3 Mullein Look-Alikes

Mullein is quite distinct in itself, but with all its look-alikes, wrong identification might lead to fatal consequences. So, here are three Mullein look-alikes that you should look out for.

1. Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

Scientific Name	Symphytum officinale
Common Name	Black wortBonesetBruise wortComfreyCommon ComfreyConsoundCultivated ComfreyKnitboneQuaker ComfreySlippery-RootTrue Comfrey
Family	Boraginaceae
Height	1 to 3 feet
Leaves	RoughFragrantRosulateOvateHairyMore than 6 inches
Flowers	PurpleCyme InflorescenceTubular ShapeDrooping Clusters
Blooming season	Spring to Summer
Similarity to Mullein	Hairy leaves
Difference from Mullein	Upright-growing leavesPurple flowers

Common Comfrey is a woolly perennial plant indigenous to Europe. It is commonly found in ditches, riverbanks, or wet grasslands.

This plant initially develops a basal rosette of leaves and later grows stems up to 35 inches tall. It has green oval leaves covered with hairs that decrease in size towards the top of the plant. 

The Common Comfrey’s leaves benefit the soil because they contain nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

During the blooming season, this plant develops drooping clusters of purple tubular flowers.

Unfortunately, Common Comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are poisonous to humans. It causes liver and lung damage or even cancer when ingested. 

This plant differs from Mullein through its upright leaves and purple flowers. Mullein, in contrast, has groundcover leaves and yellow flowers.

2. Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)

Scientific Name	Stachys byzantina
Common Name	Donkey’s EarsJesus FlannelLamb’s EarLamb’s-earsLamb’s woolWooly BetonyWoolly hedge nettle
Family	Lamiaceae
Height	1 foot
Leaves	Silver, Blue-GreenSoft VelvetyHairyRosulateElliptical3 to 6 inches long and wide
Flowers	PinkSpike InflorescenceLipped-shape2 to 3 petals
Blooming season	Summer
Similarity to Mullein	Velvety and hairy leavesFlower spike
Difference from Mullein	Blue-green leavesPurple flowers

Lamb’s Ear is a herbaceous perennial plant that comes from the mint family. It is native to the hills of Iran, Armenia, and Turkey.

It is recognizable for its thick, velvety silver leaves that spread and serve as a ground cover. Every summer, it blossoms small pink flowers on spike-like stems.

This plant prefers well-drained soils and full sun or partial shade. It propagates using its stems by rooting at the nodes.

The leaves of Lamb’s Ear have an elliptical shape and are covered with white fur-like hairs. Similar to Mullein, its foliage also emits a fragrant scent when crushed.

However, Lamb’s Ear has distinctly blue-green foliage, while Mullein has sage-green leaves. Lamb’s Ear also has purple flowers, while Mullein has yellow blooms.

3. Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Scientific Name	Digitalis purpurea
Common Name	Common FoxgloveFoxglove
Family	Plantaginaceae
Height	2 to 5 feet
Leaves	VelvetyRosulateOvateHairyMore than 6 inches long
Flowers	PurpleTerminal racemePendulousFunnel-shaped
Blooming season	Spring to Summer
Similarity to Mullein	Velvety and hairy leaves
Difference from Mullein	Blooms all year roundPurple flowers

Foxglove is an erect biennial herb native to Europe. It is usually found in mountainsides, disturbed areas, and woodland clearings. 

During its first year, it develops a rosette of leaves. The leaves grow dark green with serrated margins covered with white hairs.

In its second year, a flowering stem reaching 50 inches tall emerges. Foxglove then produces purple funnel-shaped flowers with white and dark purple spots on the inside. 

These flowers grow in an elongated cluster, with one side carrying the raceme of large purple pendulous flowers. 

Foxglove prefers moist, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. It grows best in partial afternoon shade. 

Unfortunately, its flowers, leaves, roots, and stems are highly poisonous because of cardiac glycosides. Foxglove is known to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, irregular pulse, cardiac arrhythmias, and even death. 

Compared with Mullein, which blooms yellow flowers randomly, Foxglove blooms all year round with purple flowers. 

FAQs on Mullein