The answer, finally, to that question that keeps us all up at night:

How fast does a verbascum thapsus grow?

Two days ago Will was complaining about the noxious weeds in the yard:

Forty eight hours later, vt had grown a foot!
Fortunately it didn't walk away...

The end is near for this one, though, as it has begun to form the flower cluster (each small flower in the cluster opens for one day only, opening at sunrise and closed forever by sunset) and while the leaves and petals are completely non toxic, the seeds are poison! So we'll just nip that in the, uh, bud.

But we'll be left with the makings (as Wikipedia splendidly informs) for a torch and foliage for copious cataplasms -- after we shake the bugs out: Hornets have been snuggling up in the soft furry leaves at night and v. Thapsus is a favorite for Thrips and Minute Pirate Bugs. Arr.