i) Great Mullein (Aaron’s rod)
Verbascum thapsus
ii) Twiggy Mullein
V. virgata
Origin. i) Eurasia. ii) Europe.
Distribution in Canberra Region. Widespread in disturbed, grazed, and woodland areas; and roadsides and waste places.
Dispersal. Seeds dispersed by wind, water, and animals.
General Description and Biology
Biennial herbs with i) a strong erect stem to 2.5 m high; ii) more slender stem, to 2m.
Great Mullein:
Leaves of rosette and stem, and also stem and outer leaf-like whorl (sepals) of flowers,
covered with a dense mat of soft white star-shaped hairs.
Leaves of rosettes can be up to 40 cm long.
Up stem, leaves become progressively smaller and attached to stem without stalk.
Creamy-yellow flowers in summer, on a thick raceme forming a rod at apex of stem, to 100 cm long.
Sometimes up to 12 shorter side-branches rising close to the main stem, each carrying whorls of flowers.
The lower flowers produce seeds first, while the upper ones may be still in flower.
Seeds - < 1mm in diameter – are in thousands on each plant; most of them stay in the pod for many months.
Its spread is favoured by fires.
Twiggy Mullein
Deep green smooth leaves, only sparsely hairy;
Flowers yellow with purple hairs on stamens.
Control methods
a. Manual
After rain, rosettes can often be pulled easily (whole, with root) from the ground.
Rosettes can also be easily dug out with a mattock.
Stems can be cut off at ground level – but are liable to grow again, so use of mattock is better.
If in flower or gone to seed, the whole stem should be cut off, placed in a tough bag, and sent for fermentation.
In this process care has to be taken with the dry raceme; if turned downwards the seeds fall out.
Longer rods have to be cut in 2 or 3 lengths to fit into the bag.
If stem of plant is dried up it can be left standing and will rot away;
but if the lower portion is still living, stem and roots should be dug out, because otherwise will grow again.