This mullein is now over 6 feet tall. It is my favorite wild plant by far.
They are useful for toilet paper in a pinch, I will give them that. While they have been here a while, they still displace native plants and their associated insect species. Letting them persist will push them into more habitats and ecosystems that they will distrupt. Some bees, mostly invasive honey bees, may be attracted but native bees need native flowers. Native moths, butterflies, wasps, ants, etc need native plants to grow and place their young. It can never be a zero sum game, but they still do harm. Cheers.
I was told the “effectiveness” as toilet paper was as a prank by foresters to newbies and purportedly causes an itchy butt hole when all the little fibres from the leaves which make them soft then break off and coat your crack.
I do hate them, though, as they totally take over disturbed areas and are difficult to remove.
![[OC]Mullein covered in morning dew(lemmy.ca)](https://lemmy.ca/pictrs/image/e0e7b6fb-b71e-473e-b144-f15092ae44e6.png){kind=link}