Tall biennial European native with rosettes of narrow leaves the first year and slim yellow flower spikes to 1.5 m the second. The clearest, most light-fast yellow dye of the medieval European palette.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 4–8 | −34.4 °C to −6.7 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H6 | −20 °C to −15 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 4–8 | −29 °C to −1 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 1–5 | −15 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Yellow dye (luteolin) extracted from the whole flowering plant — gathered just as the flower spikes open, then dried for storage
- The other half of medieval Lincoln green — woad blue overdyed with weld yellow produced the classic deep forest green of legendary English archers
- Strictly biennial — sow successive years for continuous crops
- Self-seeds where conditions suit, tolerates poor, dry, gravelly soils
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Weld (Dyer’s rocket) against your zones