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V for Verbascum

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  • V for Verbascum

    I'm starting a new series of threads,, picking a family of flowers and hoping to share whatever we know about them - how to grow them, photos, history, even seeds! Anything really!

    My letter for tomorrow is V so I thought I'd start with Verbascum also know as Mullein.
    They are biennial or short lived perennials, tall and stately, good for bees and country gardens. Said to be easy to grow from seed and self seed themselves freely.

    Before the advent of cotton, the down from their grey-green leaves was used as wicks in lamps - hence their common name of Candlewick plant. This I must try

    Mullein grows in acidic soil with low fertility - its an indicator plant, telling you that you need to make your soil more alkaline.

    As a cut flower, its not long lasting but it can be dried for flower arrangements.

    Can be propagated by root cuttings.

    Slugs don't like the grey furry leaves.

    They can be sown in the autumn and should flower next year. Guess what I'm going to do tomorrow

    Please share your Verbascum stories and photos. the more I read about this family, the more I want to know!

  • #2
    It's a weed really in my garden, but I like it and the bees do too, so I only remove it if it gets in my way. It's interesting to see where the new rosettes appear every autumn. I just noticed a whole cluster of them in a new spot a couple of days ago.

    This wikipedia article gives a lot of nice common names for it. I think the best one is cowboy toilet paper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbascum_thapsus

    I don't think this bit can be correct "Mullein grows in acidic soil with low fertility - its an indicator plant, telling you that you need to make your soil more alkaline." I'm fairly sure my soil isn't acidic. And the fertility isn't too bad either.

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    • #3
      "Cowboy toilet paper" Softer than the dock leaf I was forced to use once
      I also like the thought of shoe insulation - like a fleecy insole. Might try that - once I've managed to grow some.

      Today I scattered some old seeds of Verbascum Blattaria/Moth Mullein and Verbascum Olympicum. The latter is listed on Verbascum olympicum, Greek mullein - THE POISON GARDEN website
      Bizarre treatment for abscesses!

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