# What is this plant?



## Walliebee (Nov 17, 2006)

Mullein is the common name, Verbascum thapsus to be proper. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbascum_thapsus


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

It grows all over my area, but I've never seen it get more than about ten inches high, and they rarely produce more that a few flowers. Apparently the conditions are fine for their germination and growth, but not too good for blooming.


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## Nantom670 (Jul 29, 2011)

I looked that plant up and that is how it does, nice bloom, but not in abundance. It can grow up to 10' tall. Here is just a little of what it says,

Mullein is biennial, so it lives for two years. The first year, this plant grows a rosette, but no flower stalk. The rosette survives through Winter, and the flower stalk grows the second year. At the end of the second year, the plant dies.

The rosette leaves are large and soft. They are bluish-green and grow up to 12 inches long and 5 inches wide. Most people compare the soft surface of a leaf to felt.

Common Mullein flowers are yellow with five petals. Flowers are about an inch wide. They bloom a few at a time from June to September.

Mullein produce huge numbers of seeds. One mullein plant may make over 100,000 seeds in a year. Seeds can survive almost any conditions and can last up to 100 years. Since mullein can't grow in shade, the seeds can lay in the soil, waiting until plants around them die or are removed.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I can't tell from the picture. Are the leaves fuzzy? Mullein is fuzzy.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Walliebee said:


> Mullein is the common name, Verbascum thapsus to be proper.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbascum_thapsus


aka..."The toilet paper plant".


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## ArkansasBK (Mar 5, 2011)

Yep, that is it. The 2-year life span fits also. I was clipping my neighbors property and found about a 10 foot circle of these. My bees were thick on the open blooms. I left them.

Michael, the leaves are fuzzy.

Thanks to all, especially Walliebee for the link to the pic.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

You could buy Mullein cigarettes for asthma when I was a kid... it is a natural broncodilator...


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Cool! I want to find some seed


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

- Gypsi, let me see if the stems are still holding anythng i recognize as seed. If I can find some, I would gladly mail it to you. Or dig a plant when the ground thaws- aweed here. It is also usefull for thickening stew and a poultice for wounds. Also used to stop bleeding from wounds.


Gypsi said:


> Cool! I want to find some seed


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Thank you Vance.
I used to make a tea of it, for my sinuses,would have a
Use for it


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