Common mullein

Common mullein is an easy-to-grow biennial that forms a dramatic rosette of silvery-woolly leaves in its first year before sending up a tall flower spike covered in yellow blooms in its second year. It thrives in poor, dry, well-drained soils and full sun, making it ideal for cottage gardens, wildflower borders, or dry slopes. It self-seeds freely and has a long history of medicinal use for respiratory complaints.