North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Scrophulariaceae > Verbascum (mullein)

Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Introduced from Eurasia, Moth Mullein is fairly common in NC and found statewide in a variety of fairly open habitats.

Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
Missoula Co., MT
18 Sep 2013
Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
Missoula Co., MT
18 Sep 2013

Flowers may be white or yellow.

Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
Missoula Co., MT
18 Sep 2013
Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
Missoula Co., MT
18 Sep 2013

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Roadside edge by field & woods, Orange Co., NC
9 July 2008

Native to Europe, Common Mullein grows in disturbed areas, especially roadsides, statewide.

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Roadside edge by field & woods, Orange Co., NC
9 July 2008

Yellow spikes of flowers are obvious.

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Roadside edge by field & woods, Orange Co., NC
9 July 2008

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Roadside edge by field & woods, Orange Co., NC
9 July 2008

Leaves are very soft & fuzzy, leading to another common name of this plant being "Wooly Mullein".

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Roadside edge by field & woods, Orange Co., NC
9 July 2008

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Roadside edge by field & woods, Orange Co., NC
9 July 2008


Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; Alan Weakley's Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Supplemental resources include USDA plants website, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... Oct 20, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com