Common name: Mullein
Family: Scrophulariaceae, Figwort
Height x width: 3-6' x 1-2'
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: alternate, usually in a basal rosette, often soft and sometimes densely wooly
Flowers: often a spike, often yellow but may be red to purple to white depending on species; summer
Hardiness: zones 5 or 6 to 8, depending on species
Soil: most, tolerates poor
Light: sun
Pests and Problems: spider mites
Landscape habit, uses: borders, scattered through meadows, herb, foliage
Other interest: Aaron's rod, thapsus, is an ancient plant with uses going back to Greeks; the erect stems dipped in tallow were used as candles, with the entire inflorescence so treated used as a processional torch; Romans used it as a hair dye and Middle Age peasants used the downy leaves to line footware; seeds were fed to fish to make them sleepy and easier to catch, and seeds have been used as a narcotic for humans; it has been used medicinally to treat bronchial congestion when smoked, as an infusion for mouth and throat inflammation, and as a tincture from dried leaves to treat earache and migraine; native to southern Europe and Asia, depending on species, they have become naturalized in the U.S., especially thapsus which is hardy to zone 3 and often considered a roadside weed
Other culture: easy, tolerates wet and cold soils
Propagation: seeds (often result in variable types), spring root cuttings of desirable types
Species:
Those marked * are most common in U.S. commerce.
| Species | zones | height | flowers | foliage | other |
| blatteria, Moth M. | 5-8 | 4-6' | yellow | green | biennial |
| bombyciferum | 6-8 | 3-5' | sulfur yellow | white | biennial |
| *chaxii, Nettle-leaved M. | 5-8 | 2-3' | gray-green | gray-green | short-lived perennial |
| *densiflorum | 3-6' | 5-8 | yellow | gray-green | leaf bases run down stem |
| leianthum | 7-8 | 6-8' | yellow | gray-green | wooly below, biennial |
| *olympicum, Olumpic M. | 6-8 | 3-5' | yellow | white | large overall |
| phomoides | 5-8 | 1-6' | yellow | gray-green | biennial |
| *phoeniceum, Purple M. | 6-8 | 2-4' | purple, white | dark green | flowers early summer |
| thapsus, Aaron's Rod | 3-8 | 4-6' | yellow | white | as for species |
| widemannianum | 7-8 | 3-5' | purple, violet | white | biennial |
Cultivars:
The following are found in U.S. commerce, with those marked * most common.
If the species is not given, these are hybrids.
| Cultivar | species | flowers | other |
| *'Album' | chaixii | white, mauve eyes | |
| 'Arctic Summer' | bombyciferum | yellow | silvery white |
| 'Cotswold Queen' | terra-cotta, maroon stamens | 3-4' | |
| *'Pink Domino' | rosy pink, dark eye | 3-4' | |
| 'Polar Summer':'Arctic Summer' | |||
| 'Royal Highland' | apricot yellow | 3' | |
| 'Silberkandelaber':'Silver Candelabra' | |||
| 'Silver Candelabra' | bright yellow | 4-6', white wooly | |
©Authored by Dr. Leonard Perry, Professor, University of Vermont as part of PSS123 course.
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