About
A rosette-forming, biennial or short-lived, semi-evergreen perennial with a dense covering of grey-yellow hairs. The wavy-margined basal leaves reach 45cm long, and the erect, branching, flower spikes packed with yellow, or sometimes white, flowers up to 5cm across, reach 1.8m.
About the genus
Verbascum can be annuals, biennials, perennials or subshrubs mostly with hairy leaves and 5-petalled, saucer-shaped flowers
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Loam
Soil pHAlkaline
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectSouth-facing
ExposureExposed
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageSemi evergreen
Height1.5-2.5 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Wildlife gardens
Native toEurope, Siberia
Care notes
CultivationGrow in poor, alkaline, well-drained soil in full sun. A drought-tolerant plant, it grows large and needs support in fertile soils
PruningRemove faded flower spikes
PropagationPropagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame in spring or early summer, or by root cuttings in winter
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to mullein moth caterpillars and figwort weevil
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to powdery mildews