Verbascum

I bought a number of attractive Verbascum last year and they did well in the bed. However they did not come up this year. I have been told they were probably annuals. Firstly I bought them as perrenials , is it likely that they failed or were they really annuals, how can you tell?

 

There are some which are perennials, and some which are biennials - don't know if there are any annual ones. It doesn't generally matter as they self-seed so much! If you want more, and feel you have to encourage them, then you can shake or stroke the seed-head to scatter them, or be more orderly about it, by catching them in an envelope or bucket, and sowing them yourself!

Here are some of the verbascums available to start from seed, showing which are biennial and which perennial.

http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/list/full-index/v

 

I love verbascum - but haven't had much joy with them. I have a neighbour whose verbascum comes back perenially, and gardens a wee bit away from me who have the biennial which seeds itself freely - but can i get them to grow???

 

I used to have a verbascum 'jackie' it was a peachy colour and cost about �£7-99 at the time, had it for about 6yrs but ended up a bit woody and leggy so got rid!

 

They always seem to me to be the sort of plant that seeds itself in the most unexpected places, cracks in walls etc.
But give them a good home and they will die out.
I think they like to struggle a bit.