Mullein
Verbascum species and hybrids. SCROPHULARIACEAE.
Planting and Growing Mullein
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow mullein in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of mullein
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for mullein
- Season of bloom and planting time for mullein
- When, how deep, and where to plant mullein
- How to plant mullein
- Watering, fertilizing, care, and pests or diseases of mullein
- Landscape and container uses of mullein
- Comments about mullein and its features
Growing Mullein
About 250 species of erect, mounding, hairy, mostly deciduous sometimes evergreen, annual or perennial, but mostly biennial herbs, 4–7 ft. (1.2–2.2 m) tall. Fuzzy, gray, gray green, silver, bluntly rounded, paddle-shaped leaves, 10–18 in. (25–45 cm) long, forming a circular, radiating base.
Commonly cultivated species include moth mullein, Verbascum blattaria; nettle-leaved mullein, Verbascum chaixii; and purple mullein, Verbascum phoeniceum, an evergreen perennial.
Planting and Care Guide
Blooms
Showy, white, sometimes red, bright or lemon yellow, trumpet-shaped, fragrant flowers, to 1 in. (25 mm) wide, often with contrasting throats, in summer, in tall, spiking clusters.
Best Climates
Mostly hardy; some tender species. Self-seeding. Zones 3–9. Best in hot, arid climates.
Soil Type and Fertility
Damp to dry, well-drained, sandy soil. Fertility: Average. 6.5–7.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Spring in full sun, 12–16 in. (30–40 cm) apart.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep moist; allow soil surface to dry between waterings. Drought tolerant. Fertilize annually in spring. Propagate by cuttings, division, seed.
About This Plant
Good choice for accents in arid, meadow, seaside gardens. Good for cutting. Attracts hummingbirds. Invasive. Pest and disease resistant.