Autumn Nears

The stately branches of the Common Mullen signal

the approaching end of Summer

The Common Mullen Cont.

The stately Mullen, considered a weed by many, stands with its flower spike erect. It has been used as a medicinal plant in the past for the treatment of many ailments. Native Americans are reported to have used its large leaves as bandages.

This photo show a large group of first year plants with a few second year plants mixed in.

As is frequently said, Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder. While many see the Mullen as a noxious weed I see it as one more beautiful plant in this wondrous creation that we have the privilege to spend our few years in.

The Common Mullen

The Mullen stands alone in a field. It’s pretty yellow flowers are long past, the leaves which once were a greenish gray are now brown. Where flowers once bloomed, now only dry husk remain. This Mullen has served its purpose; the seeds of a new generation have been spread.

The Common Mullen is an interesting plant. It is a biennial, the first year it grows only leaves, then flowers and dies the following year. I have learned of a study began in 1879 where seeds were placed in jars of sand and buried. They are dug up and a few planted every twenty years. The Mullen seed is one of the few varieties that continue to germinate well over a century after having been collected.

Before we grab the hoe to remove the next Mullen we find in our garden, perhaps we should stop to consider that just maybe the plant that produced this seed grew in the days of our Great Grandparents or before!