Aaron's Rod
Verbascum thapsus
Amazing what comes up in a plantpot of soil left lying around. It is beautiful, but a third of the size I have seen it. The info is from a wild seed site.
In my garden 21st June 2020 Staford UK
Other Names: Common Mullein, Great Mullein, Candlewick Plant, High Taper
Distribution: A native British wild flower, which is fairly common throughout Britain.
Habitat: It thrives on grassland, banks and dry fields & pastures in sunny sites.
Description: Biennial. Tall, straight flower spikes in the second year from June to August. In the first year the leaves form a rosette, but in the second year the stem extends from the rosette and leaves alternate along it. The flower spikes have individual yellow flowers along the stem. The leaves have a downy whitish coating of tiny hairs.
Uses: In early days the downy coating from the leaves was scraped off and used to make candle wicks. At country gatherings the whole stem was set alight and used as a torch. The flowers can be used as a yellow hair dye. Although most of the plant is poisonous, the dried flowers were once used to make a fruity flavoured medicine which was thought to relieve coughs and chills.
Wildlife: This is the food plant of the Mullein Moth.
Aaron's Rod
Verbascum thapsus
Amazing what comes up in a plantpot of soil left lying around. It is beautiful, but a third of the size I have seen it. The info is from a wild seed site.
In my garden 21st June 2020 Staford UK
Other Names: Common Mullein, Great Mullein, Candlewick Plant, High Taper
Distribution: A native British wild flower, which is fairly common throughout Britain.
Habitat: It thrives on grassland, banks and dry fields & pastures in sunny sites.
Description: Biennial. Tall, straight flower spikes in the second year from June to August. In the first year the leaves form a rosette, but in the second year the stem extends from the rosette and leaves alternate along it. The flower spikes have individual yellow flowers along the stem. The leaves have a downy whitish coating of tiny hairs.
Uses: In early days the downy coating from the leaves was scraped off and used to make candle wicks. At country gatherings the whole stem was set alight and used as a torch. The flowers can be used as a yellow hair dye. Although most of the plant is poisonous, the dried flowers were once used to make a fruity flavoured medicine which was thought to relieve coughs and chills.
Wildlife: This is the food plant of the Mullein Moth.