# 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'.

- **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.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/e2e2c3e3-14cd-42f7-8615-56c61288b23d
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/59029
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbascum thapsus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/150786280/medium.jpg (Wendy McCrady, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.