Mullein

 

Ecological Considerations:

Verbascum thapsus, commonly known as Mullein or Great Mullein, is a hairy, biennial herbaceous plant. A basal rosette of large furry leaves and a substantial crown are produced in the first year. In its second year it sends up a single erect flowering stem that can bolt to to six feet high or more. The rod-like spike of fruits often persists through the winter

The thick, deep taproots of Great Mullein have fibrous lateral roots and  are produced in the first year of rosette growth. Root growth nearly stops when common mullein bolts. On the flowering stem it produces small, densely grouped yellow flowers, growing from the large basal rosette of felt-like leaves.

The flowers of Mullein are short-lived;  open to pollination for 1 day from just before dawn to mid-afternoon. It produces hairy, egg-shaped, two-celled capsules which are only about are 6 to 10 mm long, which split at maturity, and contain numerous seeds. The seeds are small, wingless and not adapted for long-distance dispersal. Most seeds fall very near the parent plant.

Mullein prefers full sun and grows well in disturbed soils, growing from long-lived seeds that persist in the soil seed bank.  Seeds are said to have germinated after 100 years or more in the soil. While Mullein is prolific in its production of seeds, it rarely becomes aggressively invasive because its seeds require open ground to germinate. 

Mullein may provide a food source for chipmunks and other small mammals.

Problems Posed by this Plant:

Native Species Affected by this Plant:

Factors Affording a Competitive Advantage to this Plant:

Propagation Mechanisms and Related Issues Affecting Efforts to Remove and/or Eliminate this Plant from Taylor Point:

Mullein can propagate by either self pollination or cross pollination. If by the end of the day that a flower opens, it has not been visited by a pollinator, it is self pollinated (called “delayed selfing”). While common mullein flowers are visited by a variety of insects, only short- and long-tongued bees are effective pollinators.

Documented Best Removal Practices and Options/Pros and Cons of Various Options:

Additional Photos:

Sources cited:
Go Botany
U.S. Forest Service
Wiki Mullein

 

Key Words:
Verbascum thapsus
Mullein
Great Mullein
Common Mullein
Bridge 4A