Search Plants
Try for Free
English
About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Mullein (Verbascum)
Mullein comprise a large group of flowering plants in the figwort family that sport sturdy stems and saucer-shaped flowers. The foliage is fuzzy and has a silvery sheen. Most wild species are found in stony hillsides or open woodlands. As cultivated garden plants, they work well in cottage, gravel, or rock gardens. Mullein are sometimes known as "Beggar's Blanket" because poor people would line their shoes with the leaves for warmth hundreds of years ago.
Lifespan
Perennial
Key Facts About Mullein
Feedback
Attributes of Mullein
Plant Height
1.2 m
Spread
40 cm
Flower Size
2.5 cm to 8 cm
Leaf type
Semi-evergreen
Scientific Classification of Mullein
Distribution of Mullein
Feedback
Distribution Map of Mullein
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Mullein
Feedback
Belonging to the figwort family, the genus mullein is characterized by its diverse species, which demand different care needs and experience various challenges. Generally, mullein thrives under full sun exposure and is highly drought-resistant, preferring well-drained soil and a temperature range of 15℃ to 20℃. Common challenges include aphids, spider mites, and powdery mildew. Seasonally, mullein needs little winter care but may require additional water during dry summer spells. Its bloom season often extends from late spring through autumn, requiring regular deadheading for recurrent flowering.
How to Water Mullein?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Mullein?
How to Propagate Mullein?
How to Plant Mullein?
Exploring the Mullein Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Common mullein
Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) has been cultivated by farmers and gardeners since colonial times. This herb has a thick stem and leaves covered with a layer of “fur” that feels like flannel. Today, it grows wild in many areas of the U.S., including roadsides and vacant lots. Flowers of common mullein are occasionally brewed into a tea.
Hoary mullein
Hoary mullein is native to the British Isles and western Europe. It blooms in summer and produces flowers that are most commonly bright yellow but spring also be orange red-brown purple blue or even white. Because of its showy flowers many cultivars of Verbascum pulverulentum have earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Black mullein
Black mullein is a super tough and long-lived perennial that often dies after flowering. This deciduous plant has beautiful yellow and purple flowers that usually attract birds, bees, moths, and other pollinators. This plant is native to Europe and the Mediterranean. The flowers and leaves can treat various respiratory diseases, including cough, asthma, and throat irritations.
Moth mullein
Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria) is a biennial plant that grows in wastelands and farms. It resembles an orchid with white or yellow flowers that are clustered along the stalk. It multiplies rapidly and is considered an invasive weed. Plant parts have been used for centuries as a natural cockroach repellent. Grows from 30 to 91 cm tall.
Wavyleaf mullein
Wavyleaf mullein (Verbascum sinuatum) is an herbaceous shrub named for its shape; the plant grows in a shaggy form reminiscent of a man's beard (thus the Latin root barbascum reflected in the genus name) and the leaves of this species have a wavy margin (sinuatum). Wavyleaf mullein flowers are unique in that they will shed their petals within about 30 seconds after being touched or damaged.
Aaron's Rod
Aaron's Rod (Verbascum virgatum) is a perennial herb that will grow from 91 to 183 cm tall. It blooms from spring to fall. Blossoms grow along a flower stalk and are yellow with a purple center. Seeds appear after blooming appearing pink to dull purple and changing to golden brown as they ripen in fall. It has been growing in the wild for hundreds of years. Commonly found growing in the West along sea cliffs and banks.
White mullein
White mullein (Verbascum lychnitis) is a hermaphroditic species (which means it has both male and female organs). It's originally from Eurasia, and is a favorite food of the Mullein Moth. In some parts of the world, people use it as a rodent repellant.
Purple mullein
The flowers of purple mullein can vary in color, from deep pink to purple, or white. However, the subspecies Verbascum phoeniceum subsp. flavidum forms yellow petals and it's found throughout Greece. The differences in purple mullein anatomy occur depending on the soil type.
All Species of Mullein
Common mullein
Common mullein
Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) has been cultivated by farmers and gardeners since colonial times. This herb has a thick stem and leaves covered with a layer of “fur” that feels like flannel. Today, it grows wild in many areas of the U.S., including roadsides and vacant lots. Flowers of common mullein are occasionally brewed into a tea.
Hoary mullein
Hoary mullein
Hoary mullein is native to the British Isles and western Europe. It blooms in summer and produces flowers that are most commonly bright yellow but spring also be orange red-brown purple blue or even white. Because of its showy flowers many cultivars of Verbascum pulverulentum have earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Black mullein
Black mullein
Black mullein is a super tough and long-lived perennial that often dies after flowering. This deciduous plant has beautiful yellow and purple flowers that usually attract birds, bees, moths, and other pollinators. This plant is native to Europe and the Mediterranean. The flowers and leaves can treat various respiratory diseases, including cough, asthma, and throat irritations.
Moth mullein
Moth mullein
Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria) is a biennial plant that grows in wastelands and farms. It resembles an orchid with white or yellow flowers that are clustered along the stalk. It multiplies rapidly and is considered an invasive weed. Plant parts have been used for centuries as a natural cockroach repellent. Grows from 30 to 91 cm tall.
Wavyleaf mullein
Wavyleaf mullein
Wavyleaf mullein (Verbascum sinuatum) is an herbaceous shrub named for its shape; the plant grows in a shaggy form reminiscent of a man's beard (thus the Latin root barbascum reflected in the genus name) and the leaves of this species have a wavy margin (sinuatum). Wavyleaf mullein flowers are unique in that they will shed their petals within about 30 seconds after being touched or damaged.
Aaron's Rod
Aaron's Rod
Aaron's Rod (Verbascum virgatum) is a perennial herb that will grow from 91 to 183 cm tall. It blooms from spring to fall. Blossoms grow along a flower stalk and are yellow with a purple center. Seeds appear after blooming appearing pink to dull purple and changing to golden brown as they ripen in fall. It has been growing in the wild for hundreds of years. Commonly found growing in the West along sea cliffs and banks.
White mullein
White mullein
White mullein (Verbascum lychnitis) is a hermaphroditic species (which means it has both male and female organs). It's originally from Eurasia, and is a favorite food of the Mullein Moth. In some parts of the world, people use it as a rodent repellant.
Purple mullein
Purple mullein
The flowers of purple mullein can vary in color, from deep pink to purple, or white. However, the subspecies Verbascum phoeniceum subsp. flavidum forms yellow petals and it's found throughout Greece. The differences in purple mullein anatomy occur depending on the soil type.
Dense-flowered mullein
Dense-flowered mullein
Dense-flowered mullein is biennial plant with rosette forming flowers. This plant is a dynamic accumulator, gathering much needed nutrients from the soil and storing it in its roots. It is closely related to and may be confused with Verbascum Phlomoides. It is known to create hybrids within its own genus and will self-sow but can not grow in the shade.
Orange mullein
Orange mullein
Orange mullein (Verbascum phlomoides) is an indigenous Eurasian species that has naturalized across North America. It is a drought-tolerant plant cultivated ornamentally for its large leaves and yellow flowers that bloom on tall spikes during summer. Its flowers have a faint honey-like scent.
Nettle-leaved mullein
Nettle-leaved mullein
Nettle-leaved mullein (Verbascum chaixii) is a showy but cozy touch for your cottage garden or flower bed as a vertical accent. They also make an excellent cut flower. Nettle-leaved mullein is easy to please and will grow in rocky areas. It is drought-resistant, and deer don't like to munch on it, making it a no-brainer choice to grow!
Annual mullein
Annual mullein
Annual mullein is a biennial herb that is drought tolerant and often utilized in xeriscaping for its bronze-colored foliage. It usually blooms during the late spring/early summer. Annual mullein is poisonous if ingested and is less oval-shaped and 'toothy-leaved' than its most closely related relatives (to establish distinction).
Sardinian Mullein
Sardinian Mullein
Sardinian Mullein is a wildflower that can be found in dry and rocky habitats. Its yellow flowers bloom in early summer and attract a variety of insects.
Showy mullein
Showy mullein
The plant blooms in a large panicle with many branches lined with flowers. Each flower has a corolla measuring 2 to 3 cm wide with five yellow petals. There are five stamens coated in long white hairs at the center. The fruit is a capsule up to 7 millimeters in length containing many seeds.
Mulleins 'Helen Johnson'
Mulleins 'Helen Johnson'
Mulleins 'Helen Johnson', a mullein cultivar, is a perennial with wrinkled, gray-green leaves and erect spikes of coppery-pink-orange flowers with dark eyes. Gardeners appreciate this cultivar for its beauty but also its hardiness - mulleins 'Helen Johnson' is drought-tolerant and has no serious disease or insect problems.
Mulleins 'Dark Eyes'
Mulleins 'Dark Eyes'
Mulleins 'Dark Eyes', a mullein cultivar, offers an abundance of rosettes of crisp-green leaves and masses of buttery-yellow flowers with dark red eyes (thus the name). The cultivar has a long blooming season, lasting from late spring through to late summer. It is favored for its resistance to deer and rabbits, and for its drought tolerance.
Olympic mullein
Olympic mullein
Olympic mullein stands tall with a majestic, branched stem growing up to 2 meters high. Its woolly leaves clasp the stem at a lower level, providing a sturdy base for towering spikes of bright yellow flowers that bloom in summer. Adapting to its natural rocky habitat, olympic mullein thrives in well-drained soil under full sun, where its drought-resistant foliage and imposing stature can be fully appreciated.
Purple mullein 'Temptress Purple'
Purple mullein 'Temptress Purple'
Purple mullein 'Temptress Purple' is a cultivar from the figwort family bred for its hardiness and compact size. It is a shorter growing plant, popular in container gardens. It can also withstand colder temperatures, above freezing, unlike other plants in the genus. The plant’s name "Temptress Purple" refers to the stunning deep purple flowers that bloom in the summer.
Chaix's mullein 'Album'
Chaix's mullein 'Album'
Chaix's mullein 'Album' is a cultivar of Chaix's mullein bred for the color of its flowers. The plant features white flowers with prominent mauve centers, which differentiate chaix's mullein 'Album' from its mother plant whose flower petals are yellow. It's a hardy perennial, highly valued as an addition to cottage gardens.
Mulleins 'Jackie'
Mulleins 'Jackie'
Mulleins 'Jackie' flaunts tall, tapering spires with charming saucer-shaped blossoms in delightful peachy shades, tinged with lavender. The soft, hairy leaves form a low rosette, contributing to its hardiness by conserving moisture. This captivating perennial blooms in summer, thriving in well-drained soils and sunny spots, a beacon for bees and butterflies.
Purple mullein 'Cotswold Queen'
Purple mullein 'Cotswold Queen'
Purple mullein 'Cotswold Queen' comprise a large group of flowering plants in the figwort family that sport sturdy stems and saucer-shaped flowers. The foliage is fuzzy and has a silvery sheen. Most wild species are found in stony hillsides or open woodlands. As cultivated garden plants, they work well in cottage, gravel, or rock gardens. Purple mullein 'Cotswold Queen' are sometimes known as "Beggar's Blanket" because poor people would line their shoes with the leaves for warmth hundreds of years ago.
Verbascum × hybrida 'Southern Charm’
Verbascum × hybrida 'Southern Charm’
Verbascum × hybrida 'Southern Charm’ flourishes with tall, graceful spikes adorned with a blend of soft peach, lavender, and creamy yellow flowers. This perennial's blossoms are a magnet for pollinators and bloom from mid-summer to fall. The felt-like foliage provides a silvery-green backdrop, enhancing the pastel colors. Adaptable to various conditions, verbascum × hybrida 'Southern Charm’ thrives in well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade, capturing the essence of a cottage garden.
Mulleins 'Lavender Lass'
Mulleins 'Lavender Lass'
Mulleins 'Lavender Lass' offers densely packed rosettes of green hairy leaves. It has a show of stunning saucer-shaped, lavender to lavender-pink flowers with deep pink eyes. This mullein cultivar is named for its sweet, lavender flowers. It is popular for its drought tolerance and resistance to browsing by deer.
Mulleins 'Sugar Plum'
Mulleins 'Sugar Plum'
Mulleins 'Sugar Plum''s delicate rosette of woolly, silver-green leaves supports slender, dense flower spikes. Its summer bloom showcases shades of soft pink to magenta, often with a deep purple heart. Mulleins 'Sugar Plum' thrives in well-drained soils, its drought-resistant nature an adaptation to rocky, sunlit environments. Gardeners cherish it for its vertical accent and enchanting, pastel-toned flowers.
Verbascum giganteum
Verbascum giganteum
Verbascum giganteum stands tall with a robust, woolly stem, reaching the sky at heights formidable for a herbaceous species. Its large, velvety leaves form a basal rosette, with the upper foliage ascending alongside dense floral spires. The towering yellow blooms, arranged in a stately spike, are a beacon to pollinators in its native rocky and scrubby habitats, where it rises resiliently above its peers, basking in full sun.
Flannel plant
Flannel plant
The moth mullein is a biennial plant. In its first year of growth, its leaves develop as a basal rosette. During this first year, the stem of the plant remains extremely short. The leaves of the rosette are oblanceolate with deeply toothed edges and are attached to the stem by short petioles.
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants and unlimited guides at your fingertips...
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Botanist in your pocket
Scan the QR code with your phone camera to download the app
About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Mullein
Verbascum
Mullein comprise a large group of flowering plants in the figwort family that sport sturdy stems and saucer-shaped flowers. The foliage is fuzzy and has a silvery sheen. Most wild species are found in stony hillsides or open woodlands. As cultivated garden plants, they work well in cottage, gravel, or rock gardens. Mullein are sometimes known as "Beggar's Blanket" because poor people would line their shoes with the leaves for warmth hundreds of years ago.
Lifespan
Perennial
Key Facts About Mullein
Feedback
Attributes of Mullein
Plant Height
1.2 m
Spread
40 cm
Flower Size
2.5 cm to 8 cm
Leaf type
Semi-evergreen
Scientific Classification of Mullein
Distribution of Mullein
Feedback
Distribution Map of Mullein
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Mullein
Feedback
Belonging to the figwort family, the genus mullein is characterized by its diverse species, which demand different care needs and experience various challenges. Generally, mullein thrives under full sun exposure and is highly drought-resistant, preferring well-drained soil and a temperature range of 15℃ to 20℃. Common challenges include aphids, spider mites, and powdery mildew. Seasonally, mullein needs little winter care but may require additional water during dry summer spells. Its bloom season often extends from late spring through autumn, requiring regular deadheading for recurrent flowering.
How to Water Mullein?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Mullein?
How to Propagate Mullein?
How to Plant Mullein?
Exploring the Mullein Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Common mullein
Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) has been cultivated by farmers and gardeners since colonial times. This herb has a thick stem and leaves covered with a layer of “fur” that feels like flannel. Today, it grows wild in many areas of the U.S., including roadsides and vacant lots. Flowers of common mullein are occasionally brewed into a tea.
Hoary mullein
Hoary mullein is native to the British Isles and western Europe. It blooms in summer and produces flowers that are most commonly bright yellow but spring also be orange red-brown purple blue or even white. Because of its showy flowers many cultivars of Verbascum pulverulentum have earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Black mullein
Black mullein is a super tough and long-lived perennial that often dies after flowering. This deciduous plant has beautiful yellow and purple flowers that usually attract birds, bees, moths, and other pollinators. This plant is native to Europe and the Mediterranean. The flowers and leaves can treat various respiratory diseases, including cough, asthma, and throat irritations.
Moth mullein
Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria) is a biennial plant that grows in wastelands and farms. It resembles an orchid with white or yellow flowers that are clustered along the stalk. It multiplies rapidly and is considered an invasive weed. Plant parts have been used for centuries as a natural cockroach repellent. Grows from 30 to 91 cm tall.
Show More Species
All Species of Mullein
Common mullein
Hoary mullein
Black mullein
Moth mullein
Wavyleaf mullein
Aaron's Rod
White mullein
Purple mullein
Dense-flowered mullein
Orange mullein
Nettle-leaved mullein
Annual mullein
Sardinian Mullein
Showy mullein
Mulleins 'Helen Johnson'
Mulleins 'Dark Eyes'
Olympic mullein
Purple mullein 'Temptress Purple'
Chaix's mullein 'Album'
Mulleins 'Jackie'
Purple mullein 'Cotswold Queen'
Verbascum × hybrida 'Southern Charm’
Mulleins 'Lavender Lass'
Mulleins 'Sugar Plum'
Verbascum giganteum
Flannel plant
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
