Fuzzy giant weed confirmed growing on California's central coast
iNaturalist: bsmedley
Native Plants
If you've spotted a towering plant with soft, felt-like leaves and a single flower spike along a trail or vacant lot, this observation helps confirm it's great mullein, a biennial that's easy to identify once you know its signature fuzzy rosette.
Someone spotted a great mullein plant in Aptos, California, and submitted photos good enough for other naturalists to confirm the ID, making it a research-grade record. Great mullein is that tall, fuzzy-leaved plant you've probably seen growing along roadsides and disturbed ground, topped with a spike of small yellow flowers in its second year.
Key Findings
1
Observation confirmed as research-grade, meaning the species ID was verified by the iNaturalist community
2
Location recorded in Aptos, California, US
3
Great mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a biennial known for its fuzzy, felt-textured leaves and tall flowering stalk
chevron_right
Technical Summary
A verified sighting of great mullein, a tall fuzzy-leaved biennial, was confirmed in Aptos, California, adding a data point to tracking where this widespread non-native plant is growing.
description
Abstract Preview
Original paper
great mullein (Verbascum thapsus) observed in Aptos, CA, US
Research-grade observation of great mullein in Aptos, CA, US.
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.
