The marsh is in bloom as you can see from this mullein, a biennial. This plant doesn't produce flower stalks its first year but its stalks can reach 6 feet tall in the second year. This plant has been used for treating many ailments like leprosy and tuberculosis; made into tea it offers relief of cold symptoms.
Mullein has had a long history of usefulness: Roman ladies used these plants to die their hair blonde. Roman soldiers dipped the flower stalks in tallow to make torches. Women who were forbidden to use make-up for religious reasons rubbed the rough leaves on their cheeks, to create a beautiful red flush. People who spend time in the woods are attracted to mullein’s large, velvety leaves when they run out of toilet paper, again creating a beautiful red flush on their cheeks. Who knew? Who wanted to know?
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