Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: common mullein, wooly mullein, mullein, barbasco

Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort)

Distribution: Eurasia, North Africa

Habitat: Disturbed areas, plains, hillsides, fields, roadsides

Hardiness: USDA Zone 3 (-40 to -30 °F)

Life form: Biennial/short-lived plant

Occurrence in New Mexico: Exotic

Growing Conditions: The native range of common mullein extends from the United Kingdom and Scandinavia south to the Azores, Canary Islands and northern Africa, and throughout Asia from Siberia south to the Himalayas. It is widely naturalized in the United States and other parts of the world, having been intentionally introduced as a medicinal plant. It typically exists as ephemeral populations on disturbed sites in meadows, prairies, desert shrublands, forest clearings, pastures, and along roadsides. It is usually found in sunny locations on bare sandy, gravelly or chalky soils, but will grow on other soils as long as there is adequate sunlight. It has thick, deep taproots with fibrous lateral roots, but does not reproduce vegetatively. It spreads by seeds, but rarely becomes invasive because its seeds require open ground and light to germinate. It is intolerant of shade and is not a very competitive species, and rarely causes problems in agriculture. It is a prolific seed producer; each plant produces hundreds of capsules that each containing up to 700 or more seeds. The majority of the seeds are dispersed in the immediate vicinity of the parent plant. Although seeds can remain viable in soil for decades, they germinate only when the soil is disturbed and they are very close to the soil surface. Seeds may sprout from the soil seed bank after fires. V. thapsus grows best where there is little competition and it is easily crowded out by other plants.

Invasive/Aggressive characteristics: Colorado Noxious Weed List “C List”
Common mullein can be difficult to eradicate in overgrazed pastures or arid lands with sparse vegetation. Control of the plant is best accomplished by hand pulling, hoeing or tilling, followed by planting native plants.