The woad plant is now naturalized in much of North America, although it is native to Europe. Is woad a weed? That depends upon your definition of a weed. If you need help getting rid of woad, then this article may help. Click here to learn more.
Dyer's woad is considered a noxious weed in some parts of the world, so you should check to make sure it's okay to grow in your area before planting. If it is safe, however, there remains one big question: how do you go about propagating woad plants? Find out here.
Woad is not only a useful plant for dye, it also has a lovely, classic wildflower look, with clusters of yellow flowers followed by decorative blue-black seed clusters. To learn how to plant woad seeds in your own wildflower garden, click on the following article.
It may not look like it, but in its plain looking green leaves there?s a very effective blue dye hiding. If you?ve already planted dyer?s woad, the next step in the process is harvesting the leaves. Learn more about when and how to pick woad leaves for dyeing in this article.
The uses of woad, for more than dyeing, are surprisingly plenty. Since ancient times, people have had many medicinal uses for woad, from treating a fever to healing lung infections and the measles and mumps viruses. Learn more in this article.
Extracting dye from woad takes a little practice, but it is worth it. When prepared properly, dye from woad results in a sky blue. You must follow all instructions for making woad dye or you might end up with greenish yellow tones. This article can help get you started.
Eastern Indian merchants began to introduce indigo to Europe where woad was the preferred dye. What is a woad plant and what other interesting information can we dig up? Is there a difference between indigo and woad plant dyes? Find out here.
