Verbascum plants (Hatfield AL10)

Great mullein aka verbascum thapsus is a large native biennial producing strong, long lasting impressive spikes of yellow flowers in the summer, beloved of insects as you can see. It also has beautiful velvety soft downy leaves. Self seeds, but not a problem. The flower spike is very strong and doesn't need staking.

Wants full sun and sharp draining stony ground. It delighted in the drought this year, but in normal years I have wet sticky clay for a lot of the year and it does fine in that too.

These photos in flower are from previous years - what you would get is healthy young plants growing as rosettes. I think I've given away all the ones I potted up but I have some plants which came up in the veg bed (see last photos). Biennial means these plants will flower next year. You have to plant them now, keep them watered until the rains come, and then they will be fine on their own.