Dyer's greenweed
A yellow dye plant with golden flowers, found across Europe and Turkey
No single value: Dyer's greenweed is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, yellow.
Dyer's greenweed is a shrub with bright yellow flowers, valued for its use in making yellow dye. Its name and history are tied to dyeing, and it grows in open grasslands in Europe and Turkey. The plant is also known for its role in traditional remedies and as a garden plant.
- Used since ancient times to make yellow dye
- Native to grasslands in Europe and Turkey
- Produces upright clusters of golden yellow flowers
- The compound genistein was first found in this plant
- 'Royal Gold' is a popular garden variety
What colour is Dyer's greenweed?
Dyer's greenweed is a low, bushy plant that sheds its leaves each year. It grows up to about a metre wide, with slender, woody stems and narrow, smooth leaves. In spring and early summer, it produces upright clusters of yellow flowers that look like those of peas. The plant is most recognised for its use in making yellow dye.
Where does Dyer's greenweed come from?
The name 'dyer's greenweed' and its Latin species name, tinctoria, both point to its long use in dyeing. The plant has been used since ancient times to colour cloth yellow. When mixed with woad, it can also create green shades. The chemical genistein, first identified from this plant, takes its name from Genista.
How is Dyer's greenweed made?
The yellow dye comes from parts of the plant, especially the flowering stems. These are harvested and processed to extract the colour. The dye can be used alone for yellow or combined with other dyes to make green.
Where Dyer's greenweed is used
Dyer's greenweed has a history in dyeing textiles and may also be used in body treatments. Some varieties are grown in gardens, and one, 'Royal Gold', has been recognised for its quality by horticultural societies. The plant has also been used in traditional medicine, especially the flowering branches.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiThe national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.
Festival and celebrationPrideJoySource: Brazil national football teamShades and relatives of Dyer's greenweed
Several forms of dyer's greenweed are grown for gardens. The plant is sometimes confused with other yellow-flowered dye plants, but its pea-like blooms and woody stems set it apart.
Questions people ask about Dyer's greenweed
What colour does dyer's greenweed produce?
It is used to make a yellow dye, and when combined with woad, it can create green.
Where does the name 'dyer's greenweed' come from?
The name comes from its long use in dyeing fabrics, as reflected in its Latin name, tinctoria.
Where does dyer's greenweed grow?
It is native to grasslands and open fields in Europe and Turkey.
Is dyer's greenweed used for anything besides dye?
Yes, it has a history in traditional medicine, especially using the flowering stems.
What does the plant look like?
It is a small shrub with narrow leaves and upright spikes of yellow, pea-like flowers.
Good reading and sources
- Genista tinctoria on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Genista tinctoria", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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