Verbascum 'White Blush'

From deep red buds, the large white flowers unfurl, punctuated with a pretty pink and purple heart. The tall, elegant stems have add a feeling of whimsy to the garden.

Verbascum make fine garden showpieces, their glorious, upright stems provide fantastic architectural interest over an extended period through summer. They are easy to care for, will survive poor soils, and can even bloom twice in a season!

The flowers unfurl on narrow, airy stems. After the first blooms begin to wane, you are best to cut the stems back, add some fertiliser and await the second round. But wait, there’s more, once the blooms have finished, they turn into handsome seed heads that mature to an attractive red-black shade into autumn.

The glossy green, oak shaped leaves of Verbascum grow close to the ground, allowing the flowers to steal the show. The plants look wonderful in dry, coastal or cottage gardens.

The Verbascum blattaria varieties are lovely and tall, perfect for the middle to back of beds.

Plant your Verbascum in a full sun to part shade position. They thrive in any well drained, soils, even alkaline conditions, but in poorly drained boggy soils the plants tend to rot. It is best to choose an area out of harsh winds, or you will have to be prepared to stake. Water in, then you will only have to bother if rainfall is low, they become quite dry tolerant once they are established.

Verbascums are commonly known as Mullein. These are evergreen perennials, the foliage disappearing only briefly in the coldest of climates. The seeds are viable and should be allowed to fall to produce plants into the future or collected for sowing or sharing.