Verbascum ‘Sugar Plum’, a mullein cultivar, offers an eye-catching display in garden settings. Valued for its unique blend of plum, rose, and apricot tones, its upright growth habit adds vertical interest. This plant provides continuous color and architectural form throughout the growing season.
Distinctive Features of Verbascum Sugar Plum
Verbascum ‘Sugar Plum’ features graceful spikes of large, clear plum flowers. These blossoms exhibit a color shift, becoming paler as they mature, creating shades of dusky plum-purple, rose, and apricot. The plant blooms over an extended period, from late spring through late summer, and into early fall with proper care.
This mullein cultivar reaches 18 to 30 inches tall and spreads 10 to 12 inches wide. Its compact size suits various garden applications. The plant forms a low-growing rosette of green or glaucous leaves at its base, providing textural contrast to the tall flower spikes.
Cultivation and Care Guide
Verbascum ‘Sugar Plum’ thrives in full sun, requiring at least six hours of direct sunlight daily for growth and flowering. It tolerates various soil types, but well-draining conditions are essential to prevent root rot. The plant prefers average to poor soil and performs well in neutral to alkaline conditions.
This cultivar is drought-tolerant once established, making it suitable for low-water gardens. Water regularly during establishment and prolonged dry spells. Overly rich or fertile soils can lead to excessive foliage growth and may cause the plant to flop, potentially requiring staking.
Fertilizer is generally not needed for Verbascum ‘Sugar Plum’, as it prefers lean growing conditions. If desired, apply a light general-purpose fertilizer in early spring before new growth emerges. Deadheading spent flower spikes is a key practice to encourage continuous blooming and maintain the plant’s tidy appearance. Removing these spikes before seeds set also prevents unwanted self-seeding. After the main flowering period, cut back the entire flower stalk close to the ground to encourage a new flush of shorter stalks.
Verbascum ‘Sugar Plum’ is a short-lived perennial or biennial. While individual plants may not persist for many years, they often self-seed, ensuring a continuous garden presence. No special winter care is needed, as it is hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 9, but mulching in autumn offers additional protection in colder climates.
Landscape Applications
Verbascum ‘Sugar Plum’ offers versatile applications in garden design due to its distinctive form and vibrant blooms. Its tall, upright flower spikes provide vertical accent, making it a good choice for the back of borders or as a focal point in mixed perennial beds. The plant’s compact size also suits smaller gardens and container planting, provided adequate drainage.
This mullein cultivar integrates well into various garden styles, including cottage gardens, gravel gardens, and Mediterranean-themed landscapes, where its drought tolerance is an advantage. When planted in drifts, its plum-purple shades create visual impact and pair effectively with plants that have contrasting foliage or complementary flower colors, such as pink, purple, or silver tones. The blooms are also good for cutting, adding a unique vertical element to indoor arrangements.
Addressing Common Issues
Verbascum ‘Sugar Plum’ is a robust plant, but certain conditions can lead to problems. Poorly drained soil often causes root rot. Proper soil drainage prevents this fungal disease.
In humid conditions, Verbascum can be susceptible to powdery mildew, a fungal disease appearing as a white coating on leaves. Good air circulation helps mitigate this risk. While pest-free, common garden pests like aphids or spider mites may appear, particularly on stressed plants. Inspecting the plant regularly helps in early detection and management.
A lack of continuous rebloom is often linked to insufficient deadheading. Removing spent flower spikes before they produce seeds encourages the plant to form new blossoms, extending the flowering period. As a short-lived perennial or biennial, individual plants may decline after a year or two of flowering. However, its tendency to self-seed ensures new plants emerge to maintain the garden display.