Spage,

Could it be Common Mullein? Here's a link:
http://www.co.weld.co.us/departments/weed_pest/weed_mullein.html

Mike

I knew someone would know it, thanks so much. I will re-think this one after reading about it. I do like the way they look in a bed tho, gives interest. Thanks again

Spage,

If you do a search on google you'll also come up with some apparent "medicinal" uses for the plant, which I hadn't heard of before. Glad to be of help...

Mike

I think it would be great in the garden! Some birds like to hang around the stalks, searching for hidden insects in fall/winter.

One interesting thing I read was how it got all of the "candle" nicknames - not only because of how it looks, but because they used to dip the flower stalk in suet and use it as a torch. :)

Enjoy!

Brenda

I couldn't believe when I read your post. I am tryiing to ID a plant under "Plant vs weed" and your discription sounds like it. Please look and tell me if this is the same thing. I love this weed/plant.

You can purchase Mullein seeds at Johnnyseeds.com.

There are a number of ornamental mulleins (Verbascum spp.) as well. But you can't beat the price of those growing along the road. If you collect a few seeds and scatter them about, then you will have all the mullein you want in a couple of years.

I am thinking of writing a book called "Landscaping Your Abandonded Railroad Right-of-Way in the Arid West."

Update, I was down in south Alabama this week and on the way home saw a whole sandy hillside covered with this. My husband, gotta love him, slammed on brakes, turned around and dug up 6 beautiful plants. I jsut hope they live. They have a long turnip like root. I have them in water till I can plant tomorrow. If I get seeds I will let you all know, someone may just want to try these. Thanks for all your feedbacks, enjoyed reading up on this.

im currently trying to kill off all the mullen in my land, there all over the place.

Update- I planted all 6 but they did not make it. Will try again next year I guess now that I know where I can find them. I actually saw a whole field of them the other day right here in Roswell in the middle of a busines park where an area was was being cleaned for construction to begin. I was tempted but didnt. May check it out this weeend and see if they are still there.

It's mullein for sure. I am a mullein addict, I love them. But rather than grow the plain old common mullein, try some of the more spectacular ones. Verbascum bombyciferum is snow white and deeply fuzzy, so are the flower stalks. V. olympicum is maybe the "king" of them - huge, fuzzy rosettes, like the common one on steroids, but when it flowers, instead of one stalk, it produces a candelabra with a hundred or so stalks covered in yellow flowers. Amazing plant!

didn't read all the other posts...
sounds like mullein to me and there are lots of referances to it in medical books.

Spage1, next time dig the smallest rosettes instead. Common mullien is a biennial so digging and transplanting anything with a flower means they are at the end of their lifecycle. The seeds are numerous and germinate readily. Scatter some about now.

Thanks to all for the info and suggestions. Unfortunately none of the plants made it. By the time I got to the site to be cleared to collect more it was already cleared. So, I guess I will order seeds unless someone has any to offer. Thanks again to all.
Rosa I will take your advice next year to try and get the little ones if I dont get seeds.

Spagel, keep looking at the site there may be seedlings there that you overlooked because they were too small. The wild plant has a central taproot so try to take as much soil with the plant as you can.