Reseda luteola

[1] A native of Europe and Western Asia, the plant can be found in North America as an introduced species and common weed.

Good weld for dye must have flowers of a yellow or greenish color, and abound in leaves; that which is small, thin-stemmed, and yellow is better than that which is large, thick-stemmed, and green; that which grows on dry, sandy soils is better than that produced on rich and moist soils.

For the greatest production of coloring matter, the plant should be cut before the fruits show much development, otherwise the pigment diminishes.

[1] Reseda is a primary dye for the wool tapestries at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre in Giza, Egypt.

Each February, the reseda is harvested for the annual wool dyeing event among all the artists at the centre.