Verbascum thapsus L.
Aaron's-rod
Great mullein is a striking native biennial, instantly recognisable by its towering flower spike and soft, felted foliage. In its first year it forms a broad rosette of large, pale green leaves thickly coated in woolly grey hairs; in the second it throws up a tall, stout stem, often well over a metre and sometimes approaching two, densely packed with small five-petalled yellow flowers.
About
Great mullein is a striking native biennial, instantly recognisable by its towering flower spike and soft, felted foliage. In its first year it forms a broad rosette of large, pale green leaves thickly coated in woolly grey hairs; in the second it throws up a tall, stout stem, often well over a metre and sometimes approaching two, densely packed with small five-petalled yellow flowers. The whole plant has a silvery, flannel-like texture that gives rise to many of its country names.
It is a plant of dry, open, disturbed ground, colonising waste places, roadside verges, banks, quarries and gardens, and germinates readily from long-lived seed once bare soil is exposed to light. It needs full sun and sharp drainage. Flowering through summer, the spikes are worked by bees and hoverflies, and the leaves feed the caterpillars of the mullein moth. Its bold, vertical form makes it a dramatic feature in gravel gardens, borders and pollinator plantings.
Also known as
Big Taper · Blanketweed · Common Mullein · Flannel Mullein · Flannelleaf · Flannelplant · Great Mullein · Greater Mullein · Grey Mullein · Hag Taper
Synonyms
Thapsus barbatus · Verbascum bicolle · Verbascum blattaria · Verbascum indicum · Verbascum linnaei · Verbascum phlomoides · Verbascum simplex dyris · Verbascum subviride · Verbascum thapsiforme · Verbascum thapsus subviride
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.