Gardening

Mullein produces only a basal rosette of leaves in its first year of growth. The second year it produces a tall 1–2 m stem (stems reaching up to and exceeding 3 m, 10 ft have been reported) and ends in a dense spike of flowers, only a few of which flower at the same time. All parts of the plants are covered with star-shaped trichomes (plant hair). The dried stem and fruits usually persist in winter