Bloomipedia
Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Moth mullein

Verbascum blattaria

Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria) is a flowering plant in the Scrophulariaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–August across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Moth mullein is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–August.

47states where USDA records it
7Bloomipedia state lists include it
23,609U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Quick look

Verbascum blattaria, the moth mullein, is a flowering biennial plant belonging to the figwort family Scrophulariaceae. A native of Eurasia and North Africa, it has naturalized in the United States and most of Canada since its introduction and has become an invasive species there. It has been declared a noxious weed by the state of Colorado.

  • It belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 47 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Ohio, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
  • In Pennsylvania, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,507 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #70 among the 186 flowers on our Ohio list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,503 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #85 among the 190 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,851 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #95 among the 184 flowers on our Oregon list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,191 records)
Bloom time in the 7 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
OhioIntroducedJune–September2,507
PennsylvaniaIntroducedJune–July2,503
OregonIntroducedJune–November1,851
New JerseyIntroducedJune–July1,008
MissouriIntroducedfew records (34)709
KansasIntroducedfew records (22)389
West VirginiaIntroducedJune–July376

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 5 of our 7 states.
See each state
Ohio
Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Ohio. OAC 1501:18-1-03
Pennsylvania
Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Pennsylvania. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
Oregon
Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Oregon. OAR 603-073-0070
New Jersey
Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Jersey. N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Kansas.
West Virginia
No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in West Virginia.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records moth mullein in 47 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Darke, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Gallia, Geauga, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Paulding, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Preble, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Union, Van Wert, Vinton, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Williams, Wood, Wyandot.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Grant, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Yamhill.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 1061 counties across 45 states; the most are in Virginia (94), Ohio (87), Illinois (80).

Other Verbascum on Bloomipedia (1): Great mullein.

More from the Scrophulariaceae family (4 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): California beeplant, Cenizo, Naio.

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Sources