Mullein

Meet Verbascum thapsus, the Great or Common Mullein.  It's another non-native plant that's become quite at home here.  And like the Creeping Thistle that we met yesterday, the Mullein is a ruderal species that thrives on disturbed land.  This picture was taken right alongside the bike trail down from Masontown, which is pretty disturbed land in more ways than one.

The Wikipedia article on the Mullein is quite extensive.  From it, I learned that the flowers are a source of yellow dye.  The plant also has numerous medicinal properties, and it was quickly adopted by native Americans for use against lung ailments.

Its Ukrainian name is korov'iak.  Other common names for the Mullein are

• Cowboy toilet paper
• Shepherd's staff
• Bullicks lungwort
• Flannel Mullein
• Feltwort