Hungarian Mullein

Pete and I made our final visit to Whitemoor today, possibly forever (though we said that last year) but certainly for 2022. We were recording the roadside verge and ditch along the boundary of the site, which is located next to a rubbish tip. 

As I walked past the tip I spotted this rather splendid mullein in full flower outside the gate. It proved to be Hungarian Mullein, a new species for the monad. This southern European species is grows best in poor alkaline soils in full sun and is a worthwhile garden plant that is only occasionally found in the wild. It has clearly enjoyed our southern European temperatures this year, and self-seeds freely, so maybe a plant that we see established more frequently in the future.