About
Verbascum vernale of gardens is a species of mullein in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae that produces a basal rosette of leaves before sending up tall flowering stems. Plants in the Verbascum genus are often biennial or perennial and typically bear five-petalled flowers. Flowering occurs from June to September. The genus is native to Europe and Asia, with greatest species diversity around the Mediterranean.
About the genus
Verbascum is a genus of over 450 species of flowering plants, common name mullein, in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae. They are native to Europe and Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean.
Wikipedia contributors, "Verbascum", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Verbascum
In the garden
Verbascum vernale of gardens belongs to the genus Verbascum, commonly called mulleins, within the Scrophulariaceae. The genus is native to Europe and Asia, with most species concentrated in the Mediterranean. Many mulleins form a dense basal rosette in their first year and then produce a vertical flowering stem in the following season, a habit shared across biennial and perennial species. Plants in this group typically reach from around 0.5 to 3.0 m in height and carry spirally arranged leaves that are often hairy. Flowers have five symmetrical petals and occur in a range of colours across the genus, with yellow the most common. Expect blooms on Verbascum vernale of gardens between June and September; seed is produced in small capsules that hold numerous minute seeds. Verbascums are valued for their narrow, upright spikes and their ability to flower for an extended period, even in drier, well-drained soils. Sit them towards the back of a mixed border, on a gravel bank or a sunny open verge where the vertical stems can be a structural element and the rosette has space to develop. Expect the characteristic rosette in year one and the tall flowering spikes the next, followed by seed capsules that readily shed minute seeds.
More in the Verbascum genus
- Verbascum nigrum subsp. nigrumBlack Mullein
- Verbascum olympicum 'Album'Greek Mullein
- Verbascum 'Cotswold Beauty'Mullein
- Verbascum 'Golden Bush'Mullein
- Verbascum blat. 'Albiflora'Mullein
- Verbascum bomb. 'Polar Summer'Mullein