Reseda lutea 'Wild Mignonette'

[Ex. Co. Durham, England]

Resedaceae: upright biennial to 70cm, common sight on disturbed calcareous soils. Yellow –green flowers, in tall spikes in the plants second year, flowering from June-August. Mignonette produces large amounts of seed which has the ability to remain viable in the soil for a long time. For the next generation to become established the sward needs to be disturbed. This may not happen for tens of years, however when it does the seed is there ready to germinate and so plants can re-appear following many years of absence. Widespread and fairly common, except in the north and west of the country.

USES:

The young leaves can be eaten raw. Its roots have been used to make a yellow dye called "weld" since the first millennium BC, although the related plant Reseda luteola was more widely used for that purpose.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Surface sow seeds in situ in the spring, germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. An autumn sowing usually succeeds in areas where winter temperatures do not fall below about -10°c. Easily grown in any well-drained neutral to slightly alkaline soil in a sunny. A good plant for bees and butterflies, it is also an important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly.

HARVESTED: 

 
APPROX. 1000+ SEEDS