Look at that impressive mullein:
Last year a neighbor weeded his driveway and I told another neighbor "too bad he will rip that one little plant out, its a really nice flower next year". And one day later that other neighbor came with the little leaf rosette of a first year mullein and gifted it to me. He had watched the driveway weeding progress and asked the weeding neighbor for it for me. I planted it into the only empty pot available at that time, a tiny terracotta pot. Turns out, the mullein rooted through the bottom hole and into the dirt below and kept developing as if in the ground.
This year huge growth took place and even people less interested in plants asked what kind of weirdo alien plant it was.
And I cared for it and loved it and expected huge gigantic flower spikes.
And now today I saw loads of little holes in the leaves AND a number of culprits:
Caterpillars with such distinct coloration that the internet was helpful with the identification.
And now I am so so conflicted.
Do I grow endemic weeds and plants exactly because they are important to endemic insects that again are important to birds and bats? Yes, I do.
But did the fucking moth have to put eggs on that one beloved pampered mullein in my display containers??? Like, could it not have used a less beloved mullein somewhere else?
Will I get a beautiful huge plant with huge flower spike if I leave the caterpillars to devour my mullein?
What am I complaining about, some may ask. You want to support insects and look, you did. You planted a mullein, mullein loving insects appeared, mission accomplished. Some bat may get a bit fat moth meal thanks to you.
Just. I also wanted a lush awesome gigantic healthy not eaten and not ragged looking mullein for myself.
Mullein is biennial. First year teensy rosette of leaves and establishment of taproot. Second year huge growth above ground. So my mullein will go to seed this summer and then I have flowers again in 2 years. But!
Look what I dug up and stole from where I work:
Flower next year. And after that mullein flower every year!
Still doesnt change the dilemma of caterpillars. So, what would you do? Reduce number of caterpillars at least? Move them to a less loved mullein somewhere else?