Mullein

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a striking biennial, offered here as a young potted plant in a small to medium pot. In its first year it forms a low rosette of soft, silvery-grey woolly leaves, then sends up a dramatic flowering spike reaching up to 2 m tall in its second year, studded with small yellow flowers that bees visit readily. Its soft leaves and flowers have a long tradition in folk herbalism, historically dried and brewed as a soothing tea for coughs and chesty complaints, though the fine leaf hairs are irritating and should always be strained out through a cloth or fine filter before drinking. Its architectural form and felted foliage add strong structure and texture to a border, while the tall spikes provide late-season interest and shelter for insects. Tolerant of poor, dry and stony ground, it self-seeds gently where happy. A characterful choice for wildlife gardens, gravel plantings and cottage borders in Irish and UK gardens.