Verbascum Rosie - Mullein

Verbascum 'Rosie' is a delightful, small variety of hybrid mullein, particularly suited to sunny borders and containers. Stocky but floriferous, it first develops a beautiful rosette of ridged, velvety, green-grey leaves. Then in late spring and early summer, beautiful spikes of fresh pink flowers with a contrasting purple centre appear, adored by butterflies and other pollinators. This short-lived perennial can also be grown as a biennial, in the sun, in any well-drained, even poor and dry soil.

The 'Rosie' Hybrid Mullein belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family. It is a hybrid resulting from Verbascum phoeniceum, originating from central-eastern Europe and the Middle East. This plant will not exceed 50cm (20in) high when in bloom. It grows quickly, reaching its final size in one month. This perennial has long, branched floral stems emerging from a semi-evergreen rosette. It flowers from May-June to July-August, in pyramidal spikes 35 cm (14in) high, composed of cup-shaped, 3 cm (1in) in diameter, fresh pink flowers with a dark pink throat and purple stamens, tightly packed together and opening here and there along the spike. The rosettes are composed of oval to elliptical, wavy, dark grey-green leaves, 15 cm (6in) long. This mullein is loved by bees. In theory, it is a perennial, but it is often grown as a biennial because it is not very long-lived. However, it easily self-seeds in light soil but not always identical to the parent plant.

 'Rosie' Hybrid Mullein is a plant for open, dry spaces, a boon for 'impossible' slopes, where it will look good alongside valerians and stonecrops. Natural scenes in slightly wild areas of the garden will be transformed by hybrid mulleins. Plant them with dwarf foxgloves, annual poppies, wallflowers, fraxinella, blue lavenders, wild chicory, thyme or pink thyme, perennial flax or the cloudy amaranth (Cachrys alpina). It can also be grown in a very beautiful container, with lobelias for example, taking care to feed and water.