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The Millenium Mullein

© Jojo

Fuzz and softest leaves of grey
Mullein grows beside the way
Summer's graced by spikes of gold
Forever every other year

When I was in horticultural college, we were allowed to bring seed of any plant and grow flats of them for ourselves, for trade, and if potted on, for sale at the annual campus fundraiser. All the students tried out different seeds, but I got in a little trouble with my instructor for wanting to grow mullein. It's true that some species are a roadside weed, but I like them all the same. They are tall, stately, and exceedingly easy to grow.

Now I have another situation on my hands where I can look back and say... "I told you so".

Mulleins have hit the gardening rags, and are being sold en masse to unsuspecting gardeners. Not that they are getting themselves into anything but a good time.

How to Grow Mulleins Grow mulleins in lots of sun, preferably poor, sandy, or dry soil, with very good drainage. When in their natural habitats, mulleins survive on dry slopes and cliffsides. There are a few exceptions, and I have pointed those out below.

Most mulleins are biennials. This means that if you sow seeds next spring, you will see only leaves in the year 1999, and they will flower in the year 2000. So who cares about Y2K and all that hype? Grow mullein. Not only will you have a very easy millenium garden, you will also have a great source of toilet paper for any shortages that might occur due to all the computer crashes. Right...

Mullein Questions? - Ask here!

Species and Hybrid Listing

Verbascum Baldaccii Biennial
One of the excessively 'sticky' mulleins. Grows to 7 feet tall, with yellow flowers. The buds are very woolly. From Greece and Yugoslavia.

Verbascum Blattaria Biennial, sometimes but rarely blooming in first year
Grows to 6 feet tall, with lovely pale-yellow flowers, with a lilac tone at the base of each petal, and purple stamens. From all over Europe and Asia, naturalized in North America. There is also the form albiflorum, with white flowers.

Its common name is moth mullein alluding to the fact that it is pollinated by moths. This is strange, seeing as Blattaria is the latin name for Cockroaches.

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