Verbascum thapsis, commonly known as Verbascum, Mullein, or Common Mullein, is a biennial herb native to Europe and Asia. Its categorization as both a medicinal plant and weed reflects the differing opinions on why it was introduced to America in the 1700s. Opponents say Verbascum was used as fish poison, supporters that it was used by the Puritans to treat illnesses.
Whatever its purpose, Verbascum is a very distinctive looking plant. Its leaves are about a foot long and very soft (they've even been used as diapers) and grow in a basal clump.
Verbascum is a biennial with a different appearance each year. In its first year, Verbascum is a low-growing rosette with blue-green or gray-green leaves. Verbascum plants flower in their second year. A single tall, thick stalk or spike emerges and produces tightly clustered five-petal flowers.
Verbascum will grow in nearly any soil, but the best locations for growing Verbascum will be sunny with well-drained soil. Its flowers have a great many uses: decorative garnish; floral arrangements; potpourri. But Verbascum has historically been considered a medicinal plant.
Verbascum flowers and leaves are quite viscous, and tea made from these is used to treat a sore throat. The flowers are also hairy, so be sure to strain Verbascum tea properly.
Verbascum also enjoys a place in world literature. In Greek mythology, Verbascum was carried by Odysseus to protect him from the sorceress Circe. Aaron's Rod, another common name for the plant, is also the title of a 1922 novel by D.H. Lawrence. And in his poem "Range-Finding," Robert Frost writes of a spider who sets a web trap between Mullein stalks but is frustrated by a passing bullet.