Botanical illustration of Weld
🎨 AI-generated botanical illustration

🌱 Weld

Reseda luteola
dye_plants biennial
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
low
🗺️ Zones
[4,5,6,7,8,9]
🧪 Soil pH
6.5-8.5
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained, tolerates poor/alkaline
📏 Spacing
8-12 inches
📐 Height
3-5 ft
⏱️ Maturity
Harvest first year for dye (leaves/stems before flowering for brightest yellow)

🤝 Companions (4)

🤝 Indigo
Yellow + blue = green — the primary color dye garden
🤝 Madder
Red + yellow = orange — the complete dyer's palette
🤝 Madder
Fellow dye plant; different root zones avoid competition
🤝 Woad
Both historical dye plants; can be grown together for color range

⚠️ Keep Apart (1)

⚠️ none — biennial; self-seeds for continuous supply

📝 Growing Notes

The brightest natural yellow dye in existence — more lightfast than any other yellow. The green plant yields a brilliant lemon-to-gold yellow that doesn't fade — rare among natural yellows. Used to dye medieval tapestries, Renaissance clothing, and even banknote paper. Tall spikes of tiny yellow-green flowers.

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