It is a biennial, meaning it lives for two years.

Does it spread easily?

Yes, it produces thousands of seeds that germinate readily in disturbed soil.

Pflanzenratgeber

Great Mullein.

Verbascum thapsus

Aussprache ver-BASS-kum THAP-sus

Auch bekannt als Aaron's rod, Aaron's-rod, Big Taper, Blanketweed, Charmin of the woods, Common Mullein, Flannel Mullein, Flannel Plant

Great Mullein — Foto von Irina Mitine (CC BY) über gbif

Mullein is a striking biennial plant that produces a tall, impressive spike of yellow flowers. It's often found growing in fields and along roadsides where it enjoys plenty of sun. You'll love how its fuzzy, silver-green leaves add a unique texture to your garden.

Ein weiteres Foto von Great Mullein — Foto von mar (CC BY-SA) über iNaturalist

Auf einen Blick

Pflegestufe: Einfach
Pflanzenart: Biennial herb
Licht: Full sun
Licht im Innenraum: Direkte Sonne
Gießen: Alle 7 bis 14 Tage
Endgröße: 6 to 8 feet
Wachstum: Schnell
Winterhärte: USDA 3 bis 9
Blütezeit: Mid to late summer

Pflege

Plant this in a spot that gets plenty of sunshine to keep it happy. Watch for wilting leaves during dry spells, which is your sign that it needs a good drink. It's a very low-maintenance plant that mostly takes care of itself once it's settled in.

Gießen: Water deeply when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
Düngen: It rarely needs fertilizer if planted in decent garden soil.
Schneiden: Cut back the flower stalk after it finishes blooming to keep the area tidy.
Umtopfen: Since it's a biennial, you likely won't need to repot it before it completes its life cycle.
Boden: Well-draining, sandy or rocky soil
Boden-pH: 6.0 to 7.5
Temperatur: -30 bis 35°C
Luftfeuchtigkeit: 30 bis 70%
Trockenheitstoleranz: Hoch
Lebensdauer: Biennial, typically 2 years.
Duft: Leicht
Wildverbiss-Resistenz: Hoch

Anzeichen fürs Umtopfen

Roots growing out of the drainage holes.
Stunted growth despite adequate light and water.

Sicherheit

Menschen: The plant is generally considered non-toxic, though the fine hairs on the leaves can cause mechanical irritation.
Kinder: The fine, fuzzy hairs on the leaves may cause irritation if handled by children, and the seeds should not be eaten.
Kontaktallergene: The dense, stellate hairs on the leaves can cause contact dermatitis or skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Allergene in der Luft: The pollen can be a minor respiratory irritant for those with severe hay fever.
Essbarkeit: While often used in herbal teas, the seeds contain rotenone and should not be ingested.

So erkennst du die Pflanze

Tall central flowering spike
Soft, woolly, silver-green leaves
Large basal rosette of leaves
Small yellow five-petaled flowers

Höhe: 0,6 bis 2m
Breite: 0,3 bis 0,6m
Blätter: gray-green, deciduous
Blüten: yellow, 1 bis 3cm

Häufige Probleme

Powdery mildew — A fungal infection that appears as white dusty patches on the foliage.

Standort und Pflege

Vermehrung: seed
Pflanzzeit: spring, autumn
Überwinterung: The first-year rosette stays low to the ground and remains evergreen in mild climates. No special protection is needed as it is very cold hardy.
Im Kübel: It is not ideal for containers due to its long taproot, but it can grow in a very deep pot of at least 40 centimeters.

Direct Sowing

1. Collect seeds in late summer or autumn.
2. Scatter seeds onto bare, disturbed soil in a sunny location.
3. Press them lightly into the surface without burying them, as they need light to germinate.

Pair this plant with other sun-loving, drought-tolerant wildflowers to create a low-maintenance meadow aesthetic.

Gute Pflanzpartner

Purple coneflower — They share similar requirements for full sun and well drained soil.
Leuchtendes Mädchenauge — Both plants thrive in open, sunny meadows and disturbed ground.

Botanisches

Familie: Scrophulariaceae
Gattung: Verbascum
Ordnung: Lamiales
Klasse: Magnoliopsida
Ursprüngliche Heimat: Europe, Northern Africa, and Asia.
Artenschutz: It is considered an invasive weed in many parts of North America and is not of conservation concern.

It is a pioneer species that thrives in disturbed, sunny, and dry soils where competition from other plants is low.

Nutzen für Wildtiere: nectar source
Bestäuber: Bienen, Schmetterlinge
Verwendung: ornamental, medicinal, erosion control

Im Jahresverlauf

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Blüte

Fruchtbildung

Laub

Ökologische Zeigerwerte

Salzgehalt: 2/9
Bodenreaktion: 6/9
Licht: 8/9
Temperatur: 5/9
Feuchtigkeit: 3/9
Nährstoffe: 3/9

Taxonomie abgeglichen mit GBIF.

Häufige Fragen

Is it a perennial?: It is a biennial, meaning it lives for two years.
Does it spread easily?: Yes, it produces thousands of seeds that germinate readily in disturbed soil.

Woher der Name kommt

The genus name Verbascum is a Latin corruption of barbascum, meaning bearded, while the species name thapsus refers to the ancient city of Thapsus in Tunisia.

Gut zu wissen

It is often called cowboy toilet paper due to the soft, fuzzy texture of its leaves.
The plant is a biennial, forming a rosette in its first year and a tall flower spike in its second.
It was historically used as a torch by dipping the dried stalk in tallow.

Auch in

Probleme mit Great Mullein?

Diese Seite bietet allgemeine Infos. Pocket Botanist erkennt Probleme anhand eines Fotos deiner echten Pflanze, passt das Gießen an dein Licht und deinen Standort an und erinnert dich an die Pflege.

App holen

Dieser Ratgeber wurde mit KI erstellt und mit der GBIF-Taxonomie abgeglichen. Er dient zur allgemeinen Information und ersetzt keine gärtnerische oder tierärztliche Beratung. Hier erfährst du, wie wir diese Ratgeber erstellen.