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Dark Mullein

Dark Mullein

Verbascum nigrum

Identify the Dark Mullein from a photo and log your finds with Florapass.

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How common: Common

Alien species

Dark mullein is a tall, upright plant with a striking spike of yellow flowers. The flower centers show chestnut-brown spots and purple-furry parts that guide pollinators. You’re most likely to see it in sunny, dry places, often near long‑settled areas such as old fields and village edges.

Did you know?

  • After the main stem blooms, it often dies, but a side bud can grow a new shoot so the plant acts like a short‑lived perennial.
  • One plant can produce up to 70,000 seeds, so it spreads readily by self‑seeding if left to flower.

About the species

Identification

Erect plant 50–100 cm tall. Stem dark green and only lightly hairy. At the base it has a low circle of large leaves with a heart‑shaped base and toothed edges; higher leaves are smaller and narrower. The long flower spike is usually unbranched. Many flat, round, soft yellow flowers 1.8–2.5 cm across; each has five chestnut‑brown spots in the throat and the five pollen parts are purple‑furry. After flowering it forms small dry pods with many tiny seeds. Differs from great mullein: that one has thick, woolly grey leaves and plain yellow flowers; dark mullein is greener and shows the brown throat spots. Flowers in Finland from July to September.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

meadow

Flowering

Jul–Sep

About the habitat

Sunny, dry to moderately dry open ground such as meadows, embankments and rocky slopes; often around long‑settled sites, roadsides and other open ground. Mainly in southern Finland.

Sources

Photo: Reinhold Möller Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Naturschutzgebiet Büg Verbascum nigrum-20240622-RM-154202.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Kaisaniemen kasvitieteellisen puutarhan evoluutiopuutarha - Asteridit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39579

Text: Pinkka: A Pohjolan kasveja - Rabelera-Ruta, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39579

Text: Pinkka: A Pohjolan kasveja - Vahlodea-Zostera, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39579

Text: Pinkka (Luomus), CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39579

Text: Pinkka: Kasvitieteen retkeily Lammille - Hailan kallio, Lammin kirkonkylä, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39579

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tummatulikukka

See also