Blooming Mullein Abounds

Have you ever felt a plant leaf that felt like flannel? If you have, that plant was probably mullein, also called flannel plant because of the texture of its large leaves. Mullein is a biennial which means that during the first year of its life the plant only produce leaves. During its second year it creates leaves and a tall spike of yellow flowers. Mullein is not native to the United States and came here from Europe during the mid 1700’s. It likes sunny sites with dry soils or sand, and often grows in disturbed areas. If it finds itself in just the perfect spot it can get as tall as 10 feet during its second year!

Did you know?

The dried flower stalks of mullein were once dipped in wax and used for torches.

Learn more:  Robert Freckmann Herbarium

Compare Your Senses

Sight: Birds of prey have phenomenal long-range eyesight. An eagle's eyesight, for example, is at least 4 times better than ours. American kestrels can even see in the ultra violet light range, allowing them to follow the urine trails of small mammals.

Smell: Members of the canine family such as coyotes and foxes have noses that are a million times more sensitive to odors than ours. It helps that they have about 25 times the number of olfactory (smell) receptors that we do. Another helpful factor is that their noses are constantly wet. A wet nose picks up more scent molecules than a dry one. You can test this out by dabbing a bit of water on your own nose and comparing your smell-ability.

Taste: If you were a butterfly, bee, or housefly, your taste receptors would be on your feet instead of in your mouth. This helps them quickly decide what plants to feed on, as well as which ones are best for laying their eggs.

Hearing: Owls have an amazing sense of hearing. Barn owls, for example, can catch their prey in complete darkness using only their ears. Snowy owls can catch prey under almost ten inches of snow with their incredible hearing!

Touch: The star-nosed mole may win the prize for best sense of touch, but many nocturnal creatures also rely on this sense. Skunks and raccoons, for example, use their whiskers to help them avoid obstacles and search for food in the dark. Imagine their whiskers working as your outstretched hands might if you were trying to find your way through a pitch-black room.