Isatis tinctoria (dyer's woad)

Isatis tinctoria

Photo courtesy Joseph DiTomaso

Isatis tinctoria (dyer's woad) is a winter biennial or short-lived annual herb/forb (family Brassicaceae). Plants are highly competitive and often grow in dense colonies. It can be found distributed among the Klamath, Cascade, and North Coast Ranges, northern & central Sierra Nevada, Modoc Plateau, and northern San Francisco Bay region. Dyer's woad is a noxious weed of rangeland, agronomic crops, and undisturbed natural areas.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Moderate

Cal-IPC Resources on Isatis tinctoria

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• CalWeedMapper - Statewide maps, climate models, and reports.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. Each issue is available as a pdf. List of articles on Isatis tinctoria.
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium. List of articles on Isatis tinctoria.

Cal-IPC News Articles

• Brusati, E., D. Morawitz, et al. (2011). Prioritizing Regional Response to Invasive Plants in the Sierra Nevada. Cal-IPC News. 19: 4, 5, 10.
• Richardson, B. (2004). The A-rated north. Cal-IPC News. 12: 4-5,14.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• Clines, J. (2005). Preventing weed spread via contaminated hay and straw. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2005. Chico, CA.

Other Resources on Isatis tinctoria

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• The Nature Conservancy Management Summary - Information compiled by TNC land managers. Photos included for some species.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.

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