About
Tall grey or white-woolly biennial up to 2m in height, forming a rosette of large mid-green leaves to 50cm long in its first year, with a stout, upright, woolly stem bearing a succession of light yellow, saucer-shaped flowers 3cm across in the summer of the second year.
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, Sand
Soil pHAlkaline
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectEast-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeAnnual Biennial
HabitClump forming
FoliageDeciduous
Height1.5-2.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens, Wildflower meadow
Native toEurasia
Care notes
CultivationSuitable for herbaceous border and gravel garden. Grow in poor alkaline well-drained soil in full sun
PruningNo pruning required
PropagationPropagate by seed or division in spring
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to caterpillars and figwort weevil
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to powdery mildews