Dyer’s Woad
Isatis tinctoria
Brassicaceae (Mustard family)

Dyer’s woad is a Colonial era plant introduced from Europe. It typically appears first along roadsides and at disturbed sites, then spreads by seed to rangelands and croplands.

Growth Habit: Winter annual, biennial or short-lived perennial; 1 to 4 feet tall.

Leaves: Spoon-shaped, long and pointed, alternate, bluish-green with a whitish nerve on the upper surface.

Flowers: Stems are topped by masses of yellow, four-petaled flowers, quite airy and delicate. Each flower grows into a long oval seed pod containing one seed. Seed pods hang down and turn black or purplish brown.

Root: Thick taproot that can exceed 5 feet in depth.