# moth mullein (*Verbascum blattaria*) Moth mullein is a tall plant with fuzzy leaves and bright yellow flowers. It loves to grow in sunny places and can be found in gardens and along roadsides. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 44 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![moth mullein](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Verbascum_blattaria_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Sphl, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verbascum_blattaria_1.jpg) ## Appearance The moth mullein is a tall, slender plant featuring a single, upright stem. It has bright yellow or sometimes white flowers, each with a distinctive purple-orange center of fuzzy stamens. Its leaves are typically flat at the base and sparse along the stem. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Scrophulariaceae - **Genus:** Verbascum ## Interesting facts - Ancient Romans sometimes used fuzzy mullein leaves as makeshift wicks for oil lamps! - Each moth mullein plant can produce thousands of tiny, dust-like seeds, spreading far and wide! - Its scientific name, \*Verbascum blattaria\*, strangely means 'moth-like cockroach plant'! - While often yellow, some varieties of moth mullein surprise us with pure white blossoms! ## Special abilities - **Pollinator Magnet:** Moth mullein has bright, open flowers with contrasting colors that act like a beacon, attracting busy bees and other helpful insects. - **Toxicity Touch:** This plant produces natural compounds like saponins that can make it unappealing or mildly irritating to hungry herbivores, protecting its leaves. - **Survivor Sprout:** Moth mullein is biennial, spending its first year building strong roots, then bursting with a tall, flower-covered stalk in its second year to reproduce. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-150 cm - **Spread:** 20-40 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits the vibrant flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Helps transfer pollen between the plant's blossoms. - **Eaten by:** Mullein Moth (*Cucullia verbasci*) — Its caterpillars feed on the leaves of mullein plants. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Night Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/night-blooming): Night blooming plants open their flowers after sunset, often to attract nocturnal pollinators with their scent and appearance. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify moth mullein? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is moth mullein? 30-150 cm ### How wide does moth mullein spread? 20-40 cm ### How big are the flowers on moth mullein? 2-3 cm ### When does moth mullein bloom? Summer ### Is moth mullein edible? No ### Is moth mullein toxic? Mild ### What is moth mullein's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Abbott Farm Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abbott-farm-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Broadway Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadway-avenue-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Brookside Reservation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brookside-reservation) — Ohio, US · Park - [Capitol Park Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/capitol-park-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Centennial Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/centennial-arboretum) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Chatham Arch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chatham-arch) — Indiana, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see moth mullein](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/moth-mullein) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Moth Mullein: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/moth-mullein)