Verbascum bombyciferum

Giant silver mullein

Family: Scrophulariaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Giant silver mullein is a naturalized annual found in northern coastal California's Sonoma County in dry streambeds within oak woodland at an elevation of 140 meters. Flowering in June, this plant produces pale yellow flowers in dense terminal racemes, with blossoms 20 to 30 millimeters long nestled in long woolly hairs. Growing with robust stems 50 to 150 centimeters tall and densely covered in white wool-like hairs, it develops striking silvery-white foliage. Its large basal leaves reach up to 40 centimeters long and 20 centimeters wide, with an ovate or obovate shape and slightly crenate edges, completely covered in soft tomentose hair. The fruit is an ovoid capsule 6 to 8 millimeters long, with distinctive stamens featuring white or yellow-hairy upper filaments.

Habitat: dry streambed in oak woodland

Bloom period: Jun

Elevation: 140 m

Bioregions: NCoRO (1 record, Sonoma Co.)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.