I planted something much like you are describing a few years back. In my zone it can only grow as an annual. I too found very little information on it, however another name for it may be Mullien. The silvery leaves get quite big and stay fuzzy. The plant can grow as tall as 4 ft with a yellow spiked flower growing from the middle of the plant. I hope this helps you some.

Thanks Wanda. You said you grew it - do you mean you found seeds and planted them? These two plants have just grown there as if they're weeds. I am wondering if I can move them and what sort of environment they like. I think Mullein is another name for Verbascum, but I'll look it up.
Northerner.

Ahhhh, the great Siberian Verbascum aka Common Mullein, aka a pesty weed in some American gardens. :O) I love it!!

{{gwi:238930}}

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.

Thanks, Tiffy. I have just the place for them - againt by fence just before the yard levels off - will be quite dry there. They should transplant well if they are considered a pesty weed. They are growing quite quickly, maybe have been there over the winter.