A printed copy of them will be available upon request.
Verbascum
Mullein
This genus has a host of common names, including “Beggar’s Blanket” and “Old Man’s Flannel.” In England, the very poor used to put the thick leaves into their shoes for warmth. Although most of the more than 300 species are biennials, our offerings are predominately perennials. Though some are dwarfs and some are giants, nearly all have fuzzy stamens and prefer very well-drained sandy or rocky soil. We like to use them in the border or rock garden as specimens or en masse for a meadow-style planting.
Grounded by gray-green rosettes, these upstanding spires of copious violet-eyed sunshine-hued blooms stage a truly incandescent spectacle. Irregular scallops, net-veining and long petioles define its dynamic large basal leaves. Preferring a somewhat dry, well-drained site, ‘Sixteen Candles’s proud yellow floral towers command attention alongside Nepeta reichenbachiana.
Blooms June–August
Size: 2-1/2' – 3' 0" high x 2' 0" wide.
Hardy to zone 5.
Verbascum chaixii ‘Wedding Candles’ (P-1417)
Each $10.75
Luminous tapers unfurl droves of tightly set pure white flowers centered by fleecy purple filaments and bright orange anthers. The flat-faced blooms shine above wrinkled grayish green leaves. Conveying a bright floral lift all summer long, this undemanding perennial can be sited in drier garden areas with Achillea x schwellenberg and Eryngium "Blue Glitter".
Blooms June–August
Size: 3' 0" – 3-1/2' high x 18" wide.
Hardy to zone 5.
When British plant breeders, Vic Johnstone and Claire Wilson, developed more than a thousand hybrids utilizing various wild Verbascum species, they chose only the best dozen seedlings and dubbed them ‘The Riverside Hybrids’; this splendid toasty hued prodigy was one of them. Sprouting from handsome rippled green basal leaves, numerous, well-branched straight stems bolster burgundy flushed button-like buds on tall floral spikes.
Large and luscious, wide-open coppery orange flowers, festooned with a central cluster of woolly light violet filaments, lend warm vertical accents to Allium ‘Gladiator’.
Blooms July – August.
Size: 4' 0" – 5' 0" high x 2' 0" wide.
Hardy to zone 5.
Verbascum ‘Cotswold Queen’ (P-2202)
Each $11.25
Hoisted by an attractive textural rosette of deeply-veined gray-green leaves, the tall hefty spires are chock-a-block with saucer-shaped purple-centered bright yellow blossoms. Often short-lived, but freely reseeding, this easy-care Cotswold Series member was selected in the 1930s for her robust stature and long-blooming bold flowers which unfurl from the bottom upwards. ‘Cotswold Queen’ promises to reign supreme in borders, cottage gardens and gravel plantings, especially when ensconced near blue-flowering Eryngiums.
Blooms July–August
Size: 4' 0" high x 18" wide.
Hardy to zone 6.
Verbascum ‘Gainsborough’ (P-1556)
Each $11.25
This Verbascum’s hushed colors are soothing to the senses and easy to blend with other perennials. Centered by delicate orange stamens, the cupped, dusky primrose-yellow flowers and cream-colored buds squeeze onto numerous branched candelabra-style spires. Downy gray leaves converge at the base of the statuesque presentation, while Echinops ‘Arctic Glow’s snow-white spheres make a pleasing counterpoint.
Blooms July–August
Size: 4' 0" – 4-1/2' high x 18" wide.
Hardy to zone 5.
Verbascum hybridum ‘Wega’ (P-1416)
Each $10.75
A felted biennial rosette of ample, grayish green ripple-edged foliage unleashes spectacular 6 ft. tall luminous flowering stalks. The crowded, blunt-tipped stout stems house fuzzy, round silver buds and large saucer-shaped blossoms bathed in soft custard yellow hues with orange anthers. These long blooming, multibranched beauties are some of the last flowers to grace our mixed border, delivering glowing vertical accents ‘til October’s end.
Blooms July–October.
Size: 6' 0" high x 2' 0" wide.
Hardy to zone 6.
Verbascum nigrum ‘Album’ (P-0320)
Each $10.75
With flower panicles reaching over 3 ½ ft. tall, ‘Album’ is truly dramatic. Its myriad white flowers are tinged with crimson at the base of each petal and accented by golden-orange stamens. The large basal leaves are coarse, deep green and textured. Their undulating margins, and often their stems, are tinted a dark burgundy color.
Blooms July–August
Size: 4' 0" high x 18" wide.
Hardy to zone 5.
Each $10.75
A remarkable perennial of Olympian proportions, Candlewick originates in Europe’s Bithynian Mountains. Large, felted, wavy-edged leaves form a huge, silvery basal rosette that lasts through the winter. In summer, woolly “candles” branch out at the base, and soar skyward with cheerful clusters of bright yellow flowers. Outstanding as a feature plant in a shrubby Mediterranean border, this monumental Mullein appreciates a dry spot.
Blooms July–September.
Size: 6' 0" – 8' 0" high x 2' 0" – 3' 0" wide.
Hardy to zone 7.
Verbascum phoeniceum ‘Flush of White’ (P-1288)
Each $10.75
Studded with yellow-eyed pure white blooms, slender flowering spikes herald a niveous display anchored by the tidy compact rosette of ripple-edged green foliage. ‘Flush of White’s uniform snowy coloration is unusual for a Verbascum, while its smaller stance becomes an added bonus where space is limited.
Blooms May–August
Size: 2' 0" – 2-1/2' high x 18" wide.
Hardy to zone 6.
Verbascum phoeniceum ‘Rosetta’ (P-1229)
Each $10.75
Bejeweled in pretty carmine-pink hues, ‘Rosetta’s prismatic floral fete unfurls all summer long above an undemanding comely basal clump of crimpled dark green leaves. The tall flowering spires are adorned with sumptuous, gold-centered, saucer-shaped blossoms that create a head-turning color echo amid the vivacious hues of Phygelius ‘New Sensation’ and Liatris ‘Floristan Violett’.
Blooms May–August
Size: 2' 0" – 2-1/2' high x 18" wide.
Hardy to zone 6.
Verbascum phoeniceum ‘Violetta’ (P-0972)
Each $10.75
As a precursor to the long-lasting floral show, enchanting buds swell, looking a bit like tiny dark silk cushions. A low-lying deep green rosette of oval-shaped crinkled leaves provides an appealing foil for the richly colored flowering spires. Illuminated by gilt stamens, papery purple blooms are flat-faced and make fabulous additions to cut arrangements. Self-seeding easily, and shorter in stature than many Verbascum species, ‘Violetta’ is tailor-made for more intimate spaces.
Blooms May–August
Size: 2' 0" – 3' 0" high x 18" wide.
Hardy to zone 6.
Romantic shades of rose pink and salmon dress up these saucer-shaped dark-eyed blooms. Lovely tall straight spikes rise from a ripply purple-streaked, vibrant green rosette. Partner with Monarda ‘Purple Rooster’ and Eryngium ‘Silver Salentino’ for divergent flower forms and an unrivalled feminine touch.
Blooms June–August
Size: 4' 0" – 4-1/2' high x 18" wide.
Hardy to zone 5.
Verbascum ‘White Domino’ (P-1621)
Each $11.25
A stately stand of tall branched racemes laden with large, cupped white blooms distinguishes this Verbascum cultivar. Fuzzy basal foliage, steeped in soft smoky greens, grounds the sparkling display that shows a lively splash of color when reddish purple floral filaments appear.
Blooms June–August
Size: 3-1/4' – 4' 0" high x 18" wide.
Hardy to zone 5.
