Some months ago you posted a great pic. of something called The Great Siberian Verbascum. I was quite taken by it because I like tall plants. I saw something like this growing in a neighbour's garden and asked what it was. He was a European and did not know the name in English. I asked another neighbour who had it and she didn't know the name either. My question is: does this plant start as a loose rosette of fuzzy leaves, kind of grayish? (Great description, eh!!)I have something like that starting in my garden, two of them, and I wonder if they are the Siberian Verbascum or just weeds? They are also not in the best position - at the edge of my driveway near my lychnis garden. They would be great against my fence. I figure they are quite rare because there is no information on them on the Web. Thanks.
Northerner.

It does start out as you describe. It is very much a biennial, more so than Hollyhocks and Foxgloves in my gardens. It can be HUGE, which is one of the reasons I love it. Deers avoid it and it is pest and disease resistant. Bees enjoy it as do butterflies.

I have only one in the gardens which has re-emerged from last year. Problem is that this one is behind a Honeysuckle so I may have to rethink that arrangement.

Unfortunately, I did not gather seeds. Actually, Tropical Storm Noel last year took the flowers stalks down before they matured. I was going to order more from Gardens North, but a member of our garden club said he had lots growing on his property (I finally IDed them for him at a meeting) and he will be giving me some. They reseed prolifically in his gardens and he loves them too.

Full sun, lean dry soil.

Knowing I had a source for it, I ordered Verbascum Olympicum from GN this year. Sowed them on April 13th, and they started germinating on April 22nd. I think that's a record breaker for me! And they're growing like the dickens!! :O)

One thing to watch for is ants. They like the canopy that the leaves create and will make the base of the plant their home since it remains nice and dry under there. If it becomes a problem for you, just sprinkle some Diatomaceous Earth underneath the plant and forget about it.