great mullein
Verbascum thapsus
Historically, the dried flower stalks of mullein were dipped in tallow and used as torches, earning it the nickname 'candlewick plant'.
- Scientific name
- Verbascum thapsus
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Lamiales › Scrophulariaceae › Verbascum
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Disturbed soils, roadsides, pastures, dry fields, and railway embankments
- Diet
- Photosynthesis (autotrophic)
- Range
- Europe, Asia, North America, Australia
- Size
- Up to 2 meters tall with a basal rosette up to 60 cm wide
- Lifespan
- 2 years (biennial)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Herbicide spraying, habitat succession, and intensive agriculture
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch, though its dense, woolly hairs may cause mild skin irritation for sensitive individuals. Safe to approach closely. Do not ingest the seeds, which contain saponins. If skin irritation occurs, wash the area with soap and cool water.
Verbascum thapsus ( great mullein or common mullein ) is a species of mullein native to Europe, northern Africa, and Asia, and introduced in the Americas and Australia.
Photo: Wendy McCrady, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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