Verbascum blattaria L. Moth mullein
Moth mullein is native to Eurasia and West Africa, not to North America. It was introduced, and is now naturalized throughout most of the continent. It is considered an invasive species in many areas. It prefers dry disturbed areas such as meadows, roadsides, vacant lots, and gravel bars. Identification: Plants reach 1½-4′ (45-121 cm) in height, with a strong, ribbed central stem. They are usually biennial. They spend their first year as a basal rosette, a circle of gray-green woolly leaves on the ground. The basal rosettes may reach 1′ (40 cm) in diameter with oblanceolate, bright green leaves. The leaves have irregular teeth, and may be sparsely hairy to glabrous. In the second year, a flowering stalk appears, a raceme with white-to-yellow flowers 1-1½″ (2.5-3.8 cm) around. The flowers have fine purple hairs covering the stamens. Online References:
The New England Wildflower Society’s GoBotany site Wric.ucdavis.edu (PDF) References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 146 7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm) 7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 5″ (9.2 × 13 cm) 6/7/2017 · Phillipsburg, New Jersey · By Lawrie Morello
Verbascum blattaria description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
This shows the stem and leaves. The flowers are from a different species, bird’s foot trefoil. · 7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 17 cm) 7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 5″ (9.2 × 13 cm) 7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (15 × 23 cm) 7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm) 6/2/2017 · Phillipsburg, New Jersey · By Lawrie Morello Range:
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