How to Grow and Care for Mullein

Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) has been cultivated by farmers and gardeners since colonial times. This herb has a thick stem and leaves covered with a layer of “fur” that feels like flannel. Today, it grows wild in many areas of the U.S., including roadsides and vacant lots. Flowers of common mullein are occasionally brewed into a tea.

Hoary mullein is native to the British Isles and western Europe. It blooms in summer and produces flowers that are most commonly bright yellow but spring also be orange red-brown purple blue or even white. Because of its showy flowers many cultivars of Verbascum pulverulentum have earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Black mullein is a super tough and long-lived perennial that often dies after flowering. This deciduous plant has beautiful yellow and purple flowers that usually attract birds, bees, moths, and other pollinators. This plant is native to Europe and the Mediterranean. The flowers and leaves can treat various respiratory diseases, including cough, asthma, and throat irritations.

Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria) is a biennial plant that grows in wastelands and farms. It resembles an orchid with white or yellow flowers that are clustered along the stalk. It multiplies rapidly and is considered an invasive weed. Plant parts have been used for centuries as a natural cockroach repellent. Grows from 30 to 91 cm tall.

Wavyleaf mullein (Verbascum sinuatum) is an herbaceous shrub named for its shape; the plant grows in a shaggy form reminiscent of a man's beard (thus the Latin root barbascum reflected in the genus name) and the leaves of this species have a wavy margin (sinuatum). Wavyleaf mullein flowers are unique in that they will shed their petals within about 30 seconds after being touched or damaged.