Mullein - Verbascum Thapsus
Densely fuzzy leaves that lay close to the ground, like dandelion, get me thinking mullein. The whole plant is grayish in color though, and with much larger leaves. Also note that the leaves are just as fuzzy on the tops as the bottom, this will help ID it from some toxic look alikes, like Foxglove. Oh by the way do get to know Digitalis, I have seen these show up in gardens uninvited. The first year it will just grow those basal leaves. The second year Mullein produces a tall (up to 6 feet) flowering stalk with numerous yellow flowers coming directly off a single stem. After flowering and producing seed, the plant will die.
Seed-Starting: Sprinkle some seeds on exposed ground and wait.
Site: It might seem funny to even bother growing such a widespread plant. But mullein often grows along roadsides and other waste places where it might be hard to ascertain whether the area is toxic. Besides, the plant takes well from seeds. Just remember it is a weed. So it often tends to not grow as well in amended soil, say the kind we might grow our vegetables in. The plant also likes dry situations, so a good candidate for the hot, dry corner of the garden where everything else burns.
Harvest: I like to gather the large basal leaf in the fall of the 1st year or late spring of the second, before the flowers emerge. The leaves can be cut away from the stem, as close to the stem as possible without cutting into the stem. The fuzzy nature of the leaves seems to harbor dirt so it is often a plant worth a rinse. Also note that the plant harbors a lot of water and must be dried thoroughly to prevent it from rotting. The flowers can also be used. They are plucked individually from the plant.
Medicine: The classic lung tonic. Taken long term it can help the newly ceased smoker, or the lung infection that won’t resolve itself. The thing with tonics is they must be taken long term to do that important work, but the effect will be long term too. Mullein can be used for acute situations of the lungs. It is most helpful for its soothing and antispasmodic effects. So ideally it would be used for percussive coughing that leaves the lungs feeling hot and inflamed, with no mucous to show. I like to use it in ALL lung formulas.