Reseda luteola L.
Dyer's Mignonette
Weld, also known as dyer's rocket, is a tall, slender biennial that forms a rosette of narrow, wavy-edged leaves in its first year and shoots up a strongly upright flowering spike in its second. The spikes are clothed in many tiny greenish-yellow flowers that open gradually from the base upwards, giving the plant a distinctive narrow, spire-like outline that can reach well above knee height.
About
Weld, also known as dyer's rocket, is a tall, slender biennial that forms a rosette of narrow, wavy-edged leaves in its first year and shoots up a strongly upright flowering spike in its second. The spikes are clothed in many tiny greenish-yellow flowers that open gradually from the base upwards, giving the plant a distinctive narrow, spire-like outline that can reach well above knee height.
It grows on dry, disturbed and often lime-rich ground, colonising waste places, quarries, walls, banks, verges and old industrial sites in full sun. Long flowering through summer, its flowers are valuable to bees and other insects. Weld is historically one of the most important natural dye plants of Europe, yielding a clear, fast yellow that was prized by dyers for centuries. Its tolerance of poor, stony ground makes it useful for pollinator mixes and for greening up bare, free-draining sites.
Also known as
Dyer's weed · Weld · dyer's rocket · dyer's weld · dyer's-rocket · gualda · wild mignonette
Synonyms
Arkopoda luteola · Luteola resedoides · Luteola tinctoria · Luteola tinctoria australis · Reseda biaui · Reseda crispata · Reseda dimerocarpa · Reseda glauca · Reseda gussonei · Reseda lutea gussonei · Reseda luteola dimerocarpa
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.