Verbascum roripifolium

RHS Plant Profile
roripa mullein

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Verbascum roripifolium?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
roripa mullein RHS
Plants for pollinators
Annual Biennial
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
5 Suppliers

A biennial producing a basal rosette of highly divided, dark green leaves in the first year, and tall, branching, airy, flowering stems in the second year, bearing individual, lemon-yellow blooms all summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H6
Drought Resistance
Yes

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Scrophulariaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Semi evergreen
Habit
Columnar upright
Genus
Verbascum can be annuals, biennials, perennials or subshrubs mostly with hairy leaves and 5-petalled, saucer-shaped flowers
Name Status
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in alkaline, poor, well-drained soil in a sunny position. Plants grown in fertile soil may need support, see staking perennials

Propagation

Propagate by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back old stems to the base after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to caterpillars, including mullein moth, and to figwort weevils

Diseases

May be susceptible to Powdery mildews