The mulleins are a group of flowering plants native to Europe and Asia which are well represented in the Mediterranean.

In past times, some people believed witches used lamps and candles with mullein wicks in their incantations- Paul Portelli

Two species are native to the Maltese islands while another which used to be cultivated can be found growing wild in gardens.

The lack of diversity is made up for by the beauty of the two indigenous species.

The most common is the wavy-leaved mullein which flowers from May to July.

Its vivid yellow flowers grow along a stalk that can grow up to one metre, way above the dry vegetation that characterises the Maltese countryside during the hot, dry summer months.

In Maltese it is known as xatbet l-andar, meaning the gate to the threshing floor.

The threshing floor was an area of land where the soil was flattened and beaten solid by the farmers to thresh the grain harvest that separates the wheat from the chaff.

The glandular mullein, which has no Maltese name, is also indigenous but is very rare and one would have to be very lucky to find it in our countryside.

Another species, the great mullein, is native in countries to the north of Malta. It was probably cultivated here for its flowers and possibly for its medicinal properties.

It was used as a remedy for sore throat, cough and lung diseases. The flowers and leaves were used as an infusion to reduce the formation of mucus and to stimulate the coughing up of phlegm.

Mullein is an emollient and applied externally, makes for a good wound healer. In the past it was also used to treat toothache and as a heart tonic.

The flowers are used to produce a yellow dye and an infusion can be applied to hair to give it a golden colour.

In past times, some people believed witches used lamps and candles with mullein wicks in their incantations.

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