Mullein Flowers

Verbascum thapsus is a member of the Figwort or Scrophulariaceae family. It has numerous common names including; torches, velvet dock, candlewick plant, blanket herb, shepherd’s staff, fluffweed, Aaron’s rod, and more. Mullein is a biennial, producing grey-green, fuzzy leaves in the first year and a tall, erect flowering spike with densely packed, small, yellow flowers in the second. Its leaves form a basal rosette and can grow quite large. The whole plant, with the exception of the flowers, are covered in downy hairs so that the plant appears to be silver. Mullein is native to Europe and western Asia and is now widely naturalized throughout the world. Many people know the plant as a weed, as it spreads easily in disturbed soils. Mullein’s deep roots help to break up the soil and draw up toxins, while the dead foliage from second year plants add nutrients back to the earth, improving the condition of the land where it grows. Besides its utilization in traditional healing practices,