# Plant ID question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 20, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830 "2018-04-20T23:25:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![slalexan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@slalexan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slalexan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830/1 "2018-04-20T23:25:35Z")
We have this plant growing in front of our house in south east Michigan. It sprouted out of the snow earlier this year and seems to have survived. It hasn’t gotten any bigger. The leaves have an almost furry, velvety texture. I don’t think I have ever seen anything like it before and I don’t see any others in my yard or my neighbors. Any ideas? [What is this plant - Album on Imgur](https://imgur.com/gallery/c1mFuby) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830/2 "2018-04-20T23:29:12Z")
My first guess was lamb’s ears - Stachys. But it doesn’t look quite right. I also thought skunk cabbage because of the early show, but leaves are entirely wrong. You’ve lived there for previous growing seasons but haven’t seen it before? I’m thinking it is a pretty common weed I don’t know the name of. Maybe mullein? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830/3 "2018-04-21T00:29:32Z")
My first thought was [mullein](https://www.google.com/search?q=mullein&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS784US784&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwic0c6RjsraAhUyc98KHYiNCrIQ_AUoAnoECAAQBA&biw=1451&bih=686), as well. ---
**Author:** ![MsBatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@MsBatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsBatt)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830/4 "2018-04-21T01:47:15Z")
Verbascum thapsus, aka Woolly Mullein. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830/5 "2018-04-21T01:51:17Z")
If it gets enough sun it should produce spikes of yellow flowers this year. And then seeds enough for a whole bunch of baby mulleins. Easy enough to control if you don’t want a lot of them. ---
**Author:** ![slalexan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@slalexan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slalexan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830/6 "2018-04-21T14:08:01Z")
I am very inexperienced in having a yard. But maybe the yellow flowers will be nice? Or maybe my neighbors will hate me for having an ugly yard. Thanks everyone! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830/7 "2018-04-21T15:39:53Z")
It all depends on where it’s growing. They get kind of tall, but if it’s not in the middle of the yard or something like that you should be fine. The flowers are very nice, actually, and grow all together in a spike that grows out of the middle of the rosette. ---
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830/8 "2018-04-23T09:59:24Z")
Yes they look quite nice, here in Europe you see them mostly asornamental plant: [https://www.motherearthliving.com/plant-profile/herb-to-know-mullein-verbascum-thapsus](https://www.motherearthliving.com/plant-profile/herb-to-know-mullein-verbascum-thapsus). In German, they are called “Königskerze”, meaning King’s candle. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-question/812830/9 "2018-04-24T15:34:14Z")
> [@MsBatt](#): > > Verbascum thapsus, aka Woolly Mullein. This. Pull it out and get rid of it and any others you notice around. Where I live it is a prolific weed that once get’s a foothold is hard to eradicate.