Verbascum phoeniceum Mixed Seeds - Mullein

This mix of Verbascum x hybrida brings together different varieties of hybrid mullein with flowers that come in a beautiful gradient of colours, ranging from white to almost purple and including the entire range of pink hues. Their tall candle-like flower stalks rise above perennial beds in summer, much to the delight of butterflies and other foraging insects. These hardy perennial plants easily self-seed in the garden, appearing randomly in flower beds. Irreplaceable in romantic, somewhat wilder looking gardens, this selection will allow you to create very charming, oversize bouquets.

Mullein, in Latin Verbascum, belongs to the family Scrophulariaceae. The plants in this mixture are hybrids. They are the result of cross-breeding with Verbascum phoeniceum, a species native to Central-Eastern Europe and the Middle East and which is naturalized in the dry meadows and uncultivated areas of Western Europe. Each plant will grow to a height of about 80-90 cm, or even higher in fertile soil at the expense of its sturdiness. Its growth is very rapid, sometimes attaining its adult size within a month's time. This perennial develops a rosette of basal leaves from which long, branched flower stalks emerge. Flowering takes place from June to August, in the form of pyramidal spikes made up of 3 cm, cup-shaped flowers, tightly packed together and that open haphazardly along the spike. The rosettes consist of leaves that lie flat on the ground and are arranged in a shape of a fan. They are oval, wavy, toothed, dark green, fluffy and measure 15-20 cm long. This mullein is a melliferous plant that is very popular with bees. It is a short-lived perennial in heavy, moist soil that lives much longer in well-drained, poor soil. This plant easily self-seeds in light soil and usually flowers in the first year of sowing.

Hybrid Verbascum prefer sunny positions. Tolerant of summer drought and of ordinary, even poor soils, these plants will bloom more abundantly in richer well-drained soils, even in clay and lime soils. Mullein will bring an elegant touch and airiness to beds. They are great vertical accents that are ideally placed at the back of beds or in groups in a flower bed. Its rustic look makes it well suited to romantic or wild gardens. The tall flower stalks of Verbascum make for wonderful summer bouquets. They combine well with the blooms of repeat-blooming roses, or for example, those of hollyhocks, perennial larkspurs and ornamental grasses.