Common Woadwaxen Genista tinctoria
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- jeh-NIS-tah tink-TOR-ee-ah
- Description
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A deciduous, spreading shrub with small, bright yellow, pea-like flowers. Spiky, twiggy, spreading form. A quality yellow dye can be obtained from the flowers and young shoots. Genus name comes from the Latin name planta genista from which the Plantagenet kings and queens of England took their name. Specific epithet means used in dyeing. The young shoots and stems from some of the taller plants in the genus were once bound together for use as sweeping brooms, hence the common name of dyer’s broom.
Full sun; well-drained to dry soil with modest to low fertility; tolerates drought, heat, and poor soil.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Genista
- Species:
- tinctoria
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Fabric dye (yellow)
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe to West Siberia and Afghanistan
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4b, 4a, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- 0.5-0.7 in. yellow flowers on erect, 1-3 in. racemes summer into fall
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- 0.5-1 in. alternate, simple, rich green leaves; stipules
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- vertical, slender stems with limited branching
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Landscape:
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Dry Soil
