Looks like mullein. Pretty common roadside weed in many parts of the US. Allegedly medicinal though I've never tried it and wouldn't harvest any that had been marinating in exhaust fumes.
this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2023
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Nature and Gardening
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It is.
The German name for it translates to king's candle. I like it a lot.
Czech translate to " suprised plant" don't know why.
Also known as toilet paper weed due to its soft velvety leaves....
(Do not use as toilet paper, it's used as a prank for new foresters. Little hairs come of the leaves and become very irritating/itchy)
I remember being astonished by them as a child. They were so tall! I'm still glad every time i see one. They've made a comeback since the 80s but are still not common (Germany).
We have a handful in our garden. But this one (and the smaller to the left) are by far the biggest.
Aliens vs Veggies?
Does your kid know "Der kleine Horrorladen" (The Little Shop of Horrors)? Might be still to young though. Features a cool Alien Plant too.
We harvested some mullein from the side of an old quarry recently. Dug up a young one and have it in a pot now, cut off a couple flower stalks and put them in water and have been plucking the flowers as they continue to bloom, and made bundles of the leaves to dry. There was so much there we couldn't have taken 2% haha. They love growing up where the ground has been recently disturbed. In this case they were all growing up out of mostly loose rocks downhill from the road. Very useful plant and abundant around us.
How do you use it?
Does this plant have a really shallow root system and can easily be pulled out of the ground?
I never tried to pull it out.
Not if they are too big, small ones pull easily but after 2-3' tall it gets pretty difficult. Shallow roots but it becomes a big ball after awhile.
This has appeared as a weed in our garden.
While I know that the horticultural researchers grow several varieties, the natural version here is unlovely.
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