Dyer's Greenwood

Genista tinctoria syn. Spartium tinctorium

Family: Fabaceae
Woody perennial shrub.  Native to Europe, Asia Minor and Siberia.  The tea of leaf and twig is a folk remedy for urinary infection.  If used in excess, it will provoke violent purging.    The leaves and flowers are made into a yellow dye for coloring linen and wool.  Cultivation: Extra care.  Best results will be obtained by subjecting the seeds to at least one month of warm, moist conditions followed by overwintering, after which the seeds germinate in the spring.  Space plants 3 feet apart.  Flowers yellow, to 3 feet tall.

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