Fuzzy European mullein found thriving along Erie County's Gull Point Trail
iNaturalist: smurph1
Invasive Species
Great mullein growing along a trail you hike is easy to spot and harvest for its long history as a respiratory herb, but it also signals disturbed soil nearby since it thrives where the ground has been opened up.
Someone walking the Gull Point Trail in Erie County, Pennsylvania spotted and documented a great mullein plant well enough that it earned 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning multiple people agreed on the identification. Great mullein is a tall, fuzzy-leafed plant with a towering yellow flower spike that you'd likely recognize if you've ever seen it growing in a gravel lot or roadside. It's originally from Europe but has spread widely across North America, and finding it on a trail is a good reminder to look up from the path now and then.
Key Findings
Research-grade observation confirmed at Gull Point Trail, Millcreek Township, Erie County, PA
Species identified: Verbascum thapsus (great mullein), a Eurasian biennial naturalized across North America
Observation logged via iNaturalist, contributing to regional distribution data for this widespread naturalized species
chevron_right Technical Summary
A research-grade observation of great mullein was recorded at Gull Point Trail in Millcreek Township, PA. This confirms the plant's presence in a named natural trail corridor in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
great mullein (Verbascum thapsus) observed in Gull Point Trail, Millcreek Township, PA, US
Research-grade observation of great mullein in Gull Point Trail, Millcreek Township, PA, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Verbascum thapsus, the great mullein, greater mullein or common mullein, is a species of mullein native to Europe, northern Africa, and Asia, and introduced in the Americas, Australia and New Zealand.