Hi Folks, This newby is writing in from Idaho. My husband and I are from New England some 24 years ago. Through our travels we have learned much about various plants and trees. However, since arriving to Idaho, and upon purchasing a home here, we have discovered a plant that we can not identify. I, in particular, am anxious to find out what this lovely plant is called. Learning the common names is of more interest to me than the Latin names, but both are very important. Would someone please help identify this plant? Thanks!ld_09_09@yahoo.com .com[/EMAIL]
Common Mullein Verbascum thapsus, its a very prolific weed in this area. Edited to add: I grew up in the North Idaho Panhandle, beautiful state!
A prolific weed or very easy to grow? Some people like mulleins. Hey, it's only a weed if it's growing where you don't want it.
my yard in michigan is filled with those. They are Lamb's Ear. Most people don't let them live long enough to bloom. I had one go to five and a half feet last year. They look pretty good for a while and then go downhill quickly after blooming.
adding to my previous reply...are the leaves soft and furry...because it does look like one other thing if they are not but I couldn't tell from the picture.
Thank you everyone for your help! I have a Mullien plant! How cool is that?? My mother would laugh with delight for her married name, and my stepfather's name was Mullen. Both have gone on to better things than this life. :) I looked up more information on this plant and it boasts of having lots of healing qualities. It's even suppose to have calming affects when taken internally. It also suggests that the plant makes a nice tea. Has anyone tried any of these things with this plant? I am afraid to try until I am perfectly sure it is totally safe. Also, I like the plant so well, I would like a few more next year. I don't know where this one came from because I haven't ever seen one like it before. I'm glad it decided to move into our yard. It's really a pretty plant. How does such a pretty and useful plant come to be refered to as a 'weed?' Thanks again. Love your site. I'll be around more! Idaho Newby
oh trust me next year you will have more ... i had one or 2 in my yard about 3 yrs ago and now i have tons.. Marn
When I forget my hankerchief I use the soft Mullein leaves instead. Either that or a Balsamroot leaf. Both have a soothing effect. Never have taken either internally and would do a search of the poisonous plant pages to be sure. Search under the botanic name "Verbascum thapsus poison". Harry
The previous replies are wonderful! Seeing the photo, my immediate thought was "spearweed"! As a child growing up in south Texas, a slow day during summer vacation would eventually bring one to thoughts of mayhem. And of course, in late summer the "spearweed" had died and dried. They can be pulled up quite easily when dead and dry, and even have a spear point (the root). You strip the dried leaves off and you have a spear with a very stiff shaft, perfect for "chunkin'" at the 'Bad Guys'. Who could have thought that those things weren't "spearweed"?
I've never tried eating Mullein, we used it in a similar manner to Chuck when we were kids. It grew by the thousands in my parents cow pasture. Ken is right I suppose, while everyone in our area consider it a weed it could very well be a valuable garden flower in other parts of the country. The flowers are attractive enough but they really do look awful when bloom is over and they dry up. It should reseed itself, however, Mullein is a Bi-annual plant so any seeds that germinate next spring won't bloom until the following year. If you have doubts as to whether it will reseed you could collect the seed from the flower heads once they're dried up and plant them in pots in the spring. Good luck!
Yes, mullein will reseed itself. And, yes it is edible, my sister used todry the leaves to make tea for her husband, I believe it was for asthma. Usually found growing in poor, gravely soil.
Is mullein the same as goldenrod or is it a completely different plant? I showed the picture to someone and they immediately said it was a goldenrod.....
Green_sleeves4 Goldenrod usually refers to the genus Solidago while Mullein is usually Verbascum. Flowers and leaves are different in both. Wild-rose-43 wrote I first saw some of the garden cultivars of Verbascum many years ago at a nearby lake where we went to swim. You can see some of them in the above image search for Verbascum. Don't know as I would apply that to Mullein as the flowers spikes arent quite as showy. But again, one man's weed is another's wild? :) flower. Personally I'm more partial to Verbascum blattaria in this thread which is also called Moth Mullein. Harry
Common Mullein, alot of good information and photos at http://images.google.com/imgres?img...rev=/images?q=mullein&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&sa=X Hope this helps, Don
