Sativa - Large-flowered Mullein – Seeds

• Bee-friendly highlight: As a valuable source of pollen, it attracts numerous wild bees, hoverflies and bumblebees. Thanks to its long flowering period, it helps to effectively bridge supply gaps for pollinators in midsummer.
• Self-seeding: Once established in a suitable location, the mullein usually ensures its own offspring for the next cycle through its vigorous self-seeding.
• Traditional medicinal plant: The flowers are traditionally used as a tea for colds (due to their mucilage) or for making ‘mullein oil’.

Cultivation & Location

Mullein loves the sun and prefers dry conditions:

• Location: Loves full sun and warm spots.
• Soil: Dry, stony or sandy soils are ideal. It thrives excellently against house walls, in rock gardens or on rough pastures.
• Growth cycle: Biennial. In the first year, it forms a decorative, silvery-felted leaf rosette at ground level; in the second year, the impressive flower stalk shoots upwards.
• Sowing: As it is a light-dependent germinator, cover the seeds only very lightly with soil (0–0.5 cm).

Key planting information

• Botanical name: Verbascum densiflorum
• Lifespan: Biennial (produces flowers and seeds in the second year)
• Sowing depth: 0–0.5 cm (light-dependent germinator)
• Spacing within the row: 30 cm
• Spacing between rows: 30 cm
• Height: Up to 200 cm

Ecological contribution

The large-flowered mullein is classified as bee-friendly. At a time when natural habitats are becoming scarcer, it offers a reliable and abundant source of food. It is an important destination in the summer garden, particularly for specialised insect species.