Plant Library

A biennial mullein with gray-green, felted foliage forming attractive rosettes at ground level. Large flowers with wavy petals appear in warm white tones with orange-coloured stamens on sturdy stems. The flowers create a striking display though plants complete their life cycle after flowering and setting seed.

Self-seeds moderately in sunny sites with well-drained, sandy soils. The first-year rosettes are ornamental and the second-year flowering provides height and presence in borders. Best suited to gravel gardens, sunny banks, and naturalistic schemes where self-seeding is acceptable. The combination of felted foliage and large, warm-toned flowers makes this a distinctive addition to sunny plantings.

A biennial mullein forming ground-hugging rosettes of deeply divided leaves in the first year that often develop bronze-red tones over winter. Sturdy, elegant stems rise in late spring of the second year and display creamy-white flowers up to three centimetres across with purple-haired stamens. The flowers open one after another in long succession from well-spaced buds.

Plants self-seed with enthusiasm in sunny sites with well-drained soil and typically behave as biennials. The first-year rosettes are attractive through winter and the second-year flowering stems provide height and elegance to borders and meadow plantings. Native to southern Europe and North Africa and well-adapted to sunny, free-draining sites.

A perennial mullein forming rosettes of gray-green foliage at ground level with sturdy brownish-red stems rising in late spring. The stems carry densely packed spikes of white flowers with coloured stamens that open in succession over several weeks. Plants may produce branching stems with multiple flower spikes.

Requires sun and well-drained soil to perform well. Cutting stems to the ground after flowering promotes a vigorous second flush in late summer. The deep taproot makes plants drought-tolerant once established. Suitable for sunny borders and gravel gardens where the strong vertical form and repeat-bloom habit are valued. May be affected by mildew in some summers; if so, cut affected foliage to ground and discard.

A tall, airy plant with slender, square stems that branch near the top to carry clusters of small, tubular purple flowers from midsummer until frost. The sparse foliage sits mostly at ground level, leaving the wiry stems nearly bare and creating a see-through effect in the border. Plants self-seed freely in open, sunny sites.

Thrives in sun with lean, well-drained soil and is notably drought-tolerant once established. Often behaves as a short-lived perennial or biennial but persists through generous self-seeding. The flowers attract butterflies and beneficial insects in great numbers. Suitable for meadows, gravel gardens, and informal borders where the tall, transparent habit allows it to weave through other plantings without obstruction.