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Plant · P-944
Woad
Isatis tinctoria
Woad is a biennial to short-lived perennial grown for its leaves, which yield a blue dye by a lengthy fermentation process and were Europe's principal indigo source before tropical Indigofera species reached its markets. Native to central and southern Europe and temperate Asia, it wants full sun to light shade and moist, well-drained soil across a wide range of textures and pH. It self-sows freely from abundant seed, and several regions of the western United States regulate it as a noxious weed with actual sale or possession restrictions because of how readily it naturalises into open rangeland.
Record at a glance
Growing profile
- Sun
- Full Sun · Partial Sun
- USDA zone
- USDA 4–8
- Soil
- Sand · Loam · Clay
- Moisture
- Well-Drained · Moist
Vertical layer
Herbaceous- Soil pH
- 6–8
- Plant type
- Biennial
- Mature height
- 2–4 ft
- Mature spread
- 24–36 in
- Plant spacing
- 18–24 in
- Root type
- Tap
- Spread pattern
- Seed
Keep exploring
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Solanum aethiopicum
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Agrimony
Agrimonia eupatoria
Agrimony is a slender herbaceous perennial of sunny, disturbed ground across Europe and western Asia, grown mainly for the tannin-rich leaves…
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Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
Alfalfa is a deep-rooted perennial legume grown worldwide as one of the richest forage crops available, its taproot running six metres or…
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Amaranth Greens
Amaranthus tricolor
Amaranth greens are one of the few leafy vegetables actually built for peak summer heat rather than one that just tolerates it - sown once…
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Angelica
Angelica archangelica
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Anise
Pimpinella anisum
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The deeper layer
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- Primary
- Locked ecological function
- Secondary
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- Byproduct
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Behind the record
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