#dark mullein

[times-of-life]

Aaron's Rod

Photo credit: Eleanor Chua.

Aaron's Rod, also known as the Dark Mullein (Verbascum nigrum), blooming in the cold in Regent's Park.

[dansnaturepictures]

09/08/24-Tree out the back in the sun this morning, beautiful sunny views on lunch time and evening walks at Lakeside Country Park including vibrant seas of wild carrots in the bowl area it was peaceful to see bright emerald leaves glistening and rusting in the wind too, buttercup out the front, sorrel, fleabane, loads of pond skaters which it was brilliant to see, dark mullein, plantain and blackberries.

It was also fantastic to see a Purple Hairstreak at Lakeside, faded a little but gorgeous to see in the sun and a Sparrowhawk flying out the front towards the end of my lunch time walk. Comma, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, hoverfly, House Martin, Great Crested Grebes, Moorhen, Mallard, fleabane, water mint, great willowherb, cinquefoil, hogweed and a nice clump of musk mallow near Lakeside were other highlights today.

[dansnaturepictures]

5th October 2023: Beautiful sky this evening and phone photo of lovely dark mullein I enjoyed seeing in the Winchester Cathedral Inner Close at lunch time.

Green alkanet there was lovely to see too alongside other flowers nearby. I enjoyed seeing Mute Swans well and Mallard on the River Itchen at lunch time too, with Red Admiral as I got out of the office at lunch time. On cuts through Lakeside on my commutes today hearing Chaffinch calling as though chinking a glass was glorious this morning with Blackbird seen there tonight. White clover and agrimony were great to see in and around Lakeside. Berries I believe hawthorn, Carrion Crow at the railway station tonight and Black-headed Gull were other highlights today.

[brantaleucopsis]

I identified this plant as the dark mullein or black mullein (Verbascum nigrum). It is native to dry open areas in Europe and the Mediterranean region, and in Finland it is always found near old dwelling areas: it doesn’t grow in new neighbourhoods or in the wilderness. It probably arrived in Finland as a medicinal plant with new migrants, possibly as early as the Iron Age (about 500 CE to 1200/1300 CE, as we were always a bit behind everyone with this technology stuff before Nokia). Dark mullein often hybridises with great mullein (V. thapsus), and I suppose the plant I found could also be a hybrid.

[collectiveofanimals]

Dark Mullein

Verbascum nigrum

Verbascum translates into mullein, while nigrum means black (because of their black roots).

Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Fun Fact: “The dead flowering stems provide hibernation sites for over wintering invertebrates.” (Source)

Habitat: They are endemic to grasslands of Europe (Including the UK to the Balkans, and into western Asia.