Mullein is a biennial plant. In the first year, the seed will germinate and grow this beautiful rosette. All going well, during the second year it will send up a flower stalk covered with densely packed yellow flowers. The leaves are soft and covered with a velvety fuzz. Mullein plants usually grow in disturbed areas that are open with plenty of sunshine. This photo was taken along the river just below the parking lot at the arboretum.
In mid to late summer, I see downy woodpeckers on the flower stalks opening the seed pods. I see them extracting small larvae that have taken up residence inside. If I look closely at the flower stalk during the summer, I will often see this small weevil crawling around on it. I wonder if those small larvae are from weevils.
On a US Forest Service/USDA website titled Fire Effects Information System, it mentioned that mullein seeds have germinated after 100 years or more in the soil. Seeds are amazing!
(website: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/vertha/all.html)