Great Mullein (Aarons Rod)

Large-flowered Mullein (Great Mullein, Aarons Rod) - Verbascum densiflorum.
It grows mainly on sandy soils.
Biennial herbaceous plant 0.4-1.2 m in height. Rod root. In the first year, a rosette of basal leaves is formed; in the second year, an erect, felt-pubescent stem appears with alternate, short-leaved, oblong leaves that decrease towards the top of the stem.
The flowers are large, golden yellow, 3.5-4 cm in diameter, collected on the tops of the stems in a dense brush. The fruit is an obovate capsule 5-8 mm long. The seeds are small.
Blossoms in June-August ripen in August-September.
Of other types of mullein, medicinal mullein (Verbascum thapsus L.) is used in medicine.

Care: practically not required.
Reproduction: by seeds. Sow in spring or summer. It is prone to self-seeding and sometimes appears on the site in the most unexpected places.
Flowering: from June to the end of September. Seeds ripen throughout the summer, as the plant fades. Bright yellow flowers sit on the peduncle in bunches, forming a dense spike. Flowers bloom gradually, several pieces a day and quickly fade.
Fertilizer: in spring, when loosening the soil, apply nitrogen fertilizers. In autumn, when digging the soil, it is good to apply phosphorus and potash fertilizers.
Location and soil: any garden moist soil. Photophilous. In a small herb garden, the mullein will dominate. He needs a lot of space, as the stems are semi-erect, and with abundant flowering, some of them lie on the ground. Pairs well in flower beds with ever-blooming, fragrant perennials. It is a good background, for example, for lilies and roses.
Diseases and pests: resistant to diseases.
Culinary uses: When fresh, the flowers are used to add to soups and salads. The flowers are sweet in taste and smell like honey.
They are used to flavour liqueurs and give tea a pleasant color.
Collection: When collecting, drying and storing flowers, care must be taken. The most valuable properties of flowers are contained in the golden coating that colors the flowers. It is best to harvest in the morning, after the plants have dried from the morning dew. Collect corollas with adherent stamens. Flowers are dried in a ventilated room at a temperature not exceeding + 50 ° C. Store in closed containers.
Note: only flowers are useful.

Eng.: Large-flowered Mullein, Great Mullein, white mullein, Aarons Rod. Suom.: Akantulikukka. Sven.: Praktkungsljus, öländskt kungsljus. Bot.syn.: Verbascum thapsiforme Schrad., Verbascum phlomoides.