Verbascum thapsus

Woolly mullein, Woolly Mullein

Family: Scrophulariaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Woolly mullein is a naturalized plant found in California foothills, northern Sierra Nevada, and Mojave Plateau in roadsides, streambanks, and disturbed areas at elevations up to 2,470 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces large yellow flowers 15 to 25 millimeters wide with distinctive white- or yellow-hairy upper stamens. Growing with densely woolly stems 30 to 200 centimeters tall, it develops as a striking vertical plant with a simple unbranched structure. Its leaves form a dramatic rosette, with large basal leaves 8 to 50 centimeters long, oblanceolate and generally entire, transitioning to smaller lance-shaped sessile leaves that run down the stem. The dense, tall raceme of yellow blossoms creates a prominent landmark in disturbed landscapes, making this plant easily recognizable even from a distance.

Habitat: Roadsides, streambanks, disturbed areas

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: < 2470 m

Bioregions: CA-FP, n SNE, MP

California counties: Lake, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Tulare, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Trinity, Plumas, Merced, Inyo, Tuolumne, Placer, Riverside, Butte, San Diego, Mono, Siskiyou, Lassen, Modoc, Santa Clara, Mendocino, Humboldt, Kern, Orange, El Dorado, Nevada, Amador, Calaveras, Sierra, Sonoma, Solano, Alpine, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Sacramento, Shasta, Sutter, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Yolo, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Napa, Fresno, Del Norte, Madera, Monterey, Mariposa, San Benito

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