Crops Woad (Isatis tinctoria)

Woad has a long history of use as a dye-plant; it was widely cultivated during or before the early Christian era, since it was the source of the only blue dye widely available until the mid-seventeenth century, and was popular since the colour was fast to both rain and sun. In the areas of Europe in which it was grown during the Middle Ages it became a basis of the economy, and there was considerable trade by land and sea among European nations. The dye was obtained from the leaves, which were stripped from the plant several times during the year, and then subjected to a laborious and smelly process of pulping, drying, balling and fermentation before being passed to the dyer. Woad was replaced as a source of blue dye by indigo, which was, in turn, superseded by manufactured aniline dyes. In recent years a range of colouring and wood preserving materials has been developed in one of the former woad-growing areas in Germany, and small-scale agricultural production has commenced, involving mechanical gathering of the leaves.

This entry forms part of the publication Crops for Industry and Energy in Europe

References:

Bremness, L (1988) The Complete Book of Herbs. London: Dorling Kindersley & National Trust.

Davison, M W & Martin, N V (Eds) (1981) Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain. London: The Readers Digest Association Ltd.

Hurry, J B (1930) The Woad Plant and its Dye. London: Oxford University Press.

Mabey, R (1996) Flora Britannica. London: Sinclair-Stevenson .

Perry, F (1972) Flowers of the World. London: Hamlyn Press.

Relevant EC funded projects:
AIR-0981