It looks very much like the pictures in my botanica pocket guide. I'm growing it for the first time, and my leaves are so tiny I couldn't tell from that. Sowed way too thick and I think they're choking each other out -- or stunting their growth.

Looks like burdock to me.

Sorry to say, but no. The leaves are too dark and too frilly on the edges. You are also right about the soft fuzziness of Verbascums.

I grow the giant Verbascums every year such as Olympicum, Siberian, etc. They are truly lovely plants!!

It doesn't look like my verbascum, which are much smaller and don't have the wavy edge either.

Thanks everyone! We looked up burdock and think you might be right.

I would still keep it.I think if you get into stinging nettle,if you rub burdock on, it takes away the stinging.
I seem to have a lot of stinging nettle out here, so I keep a burdock plant growing at all timeS.
cAROL

You can eat the stems! If you like artichokes, you will like them. Here's the directions I wrote for another post awhile back:
You need to collect the stems in spring while the plants still resemble rhubarb plants. And like rhubarb, you want the stems only, no leaves. Once they go into flower stalk mode, it is to late.
After cleaning well, you want to cut the stems up sort of like chopping celery for soup, but a bit bigger. Put them all in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 15-20 minutes, then drain. The draining out of the water is to get rid of the sometimes strong flavor. Put back in the pot and add new hot water and bring to a boil again and then simmer for at least 15 more minutes. You need to check every once in awhile after that to see when tender.
Once tender, drain.
Put the burdock in a large mixing bowl. You will need to add beaten eggs to them until well coated. How many eggs of course depends on how much burdock you cooked so to give an exact amount I can't say, but it should be a gooey mess.
Then you need to add bread crumbs and grated parmesan or romano cheese. Using already seasoned bread crumbs is easier. When I used the seasoned I still add a bit more garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper. Again how much I can't say but you want to make a really nice gooey mess. You don't want it to get to dry, but you don't want it too wet either. Lol, I hope I'm making sense. Well, the amounts don't need to be exact. It will come out good!
Then you fry the mixture in batches over med high heat. Use a good pan or flat griddle that doesn't stick and a little bit of oil. When you put the mixture into the pan, you need to flatten it out a bit so it is like a thick pancake. You want to fry until one side is golden brown, then flip and cook until that side is golden brown also.
If something doesn't make sense, let me know,
Remy

That sounds great Remy and cAROL. I did a little research and it sounds like this burdock has a lot of uses. Makes me wonder why it is not more common for people to grow and use it. Or maybe it is? Heck, I am from the Hills of Kentucky and my Grandma loved to go "green pickin" and I loved going with her. She would point out plants and tell me what they were and cut them with here butcher knife and stick them into a paper bag and take them home and "cook a mess of greens and cornbread" but I dont remember hearing of anyone using this plant for anything back then or now. Maybe I just dont remember.
Glenna

Glenna,
It is very popular to go out with big knives and bags to collect burdock around here.(Dandelion leaves too.) There are a lot of Italian people around here though. Burdock(Arctium) tastes just like Cardoon(Cynara cardunculus.) Cardoon is a very close relative of the artichoke and is very popular to eat in Italy, but cardoon is not cold hard here. Burdock of course is a hardy weed and somehow the Italians knew it was a substitute. Burdock is often called cardoon here and it does cause some confusion.
Probably more than you wanted to know, lol,
Remy

I think that is very interesting Remy. I think it is sad that a lot more people don't do stuff like that nowadays. So many people these days think if it don't come from the grocery store it is not fit to eat.

I think it's burdock ;-( Shame, as it's such a healthy looking plant.