Pulling Mullen at the Gravel Pit

In May, we combined a campout with one of Kylie's Woodbadge projects: pulling a weed called mullein. In Montana, common mullein is listed as a noxious weed in Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Lewis & Clark, Mineral, Stillwater, and Yellowstone Counties. Mullein reproduces by seed, and a plant can produce between 136, 000 to 175,000 seeds. Seeds can remain viable for 35 to 100 years or longer. It grows really tall, and some people use its leaves for medicinal purposes. Kylie designated an area, and we had to pull all the mullein within that perimeter.

According to Montana State University's website, Common mullein is native to Europe, northern Africa, and Asia. It was intentionally introduced in America by early settlers, who placed crushed seeds of common mullein into slow-moving water to poison fish. The toxic seeds caused the fish to stop breathing, making them easy to collect and harvest. By the late 1800’s, it was reported on the west coast and is now common in all states.

There's no way to eradicate mullein fully, but pulling it when you see it can help other native plant species survive and thrive.