Price range: $11.70 through $12.10
Bring centuries of colour into your garden with a Woad Plant, the historic European source of a remarkable natural blue dye.
The accepted botanical name is Isatis tinctoria. Common names include Woad, Dyer’s Woad, Dyers Woad, Dyer’s Weed, Glastum, Asp of Jerusalem, Pastel, European Woad and Indigo Woad.
For centuries, growers cultivated its leaves to create blue pigment for cloth. The plant became especially important across medieval Europe before imported tropical indigo reached the continent in larger quantities. This rich heritage makes it far more than an attractive flowering herb. It offers gardeners a direct connection to traditional textiles, craft and botanical history.
This robust member of the mustard family forms a leafy basal rosette before sending up tall, branching flower stems. Small, bright yellow blooms appear through spring and summer, followed by distinctive dark, hanging seed pods. Mature flowering stems can reach about 1.2 metres.
The Woad Plant adapts to many soil types but performs best in well-drained ground with plenty of sunlight. Once established, it tolerates frost and dry periods. It usually grows as a biennial, although it may persist as a short-lived perennial in favourable conditions. Its easy-going nature suits cottage gardens, productive plots and dedicated dye gardens.
Fresh leaves contain the compounds needed to produce natural blue pigment, although extracting the colour requires careful processing. This unusual quality makes the plant fascinating for dyers, textile artists, educators and gardeners who enjoy heritage crafts.
Woad also holds a long place in several traditional herbal systems, particularly through preparations made from its leaves and roots. Modern research continues to investigate its plant compounds and potential biological activity. Seek qualified guidance before using any plant medicinally.
Expand your natural-dye collection by growing it alongside our True Indigo Plant or Madder Plant. Woad Seed is also available for gardeners who prefer to begin their Woad Plant journey from scratch.
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