WoadUsesBeyondDye: What Can Woad Be Used For In The Garden.Although it has been used for many years as a dye, woad also has medicinal uses. Medicinal woad plants have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine because of their antibiotic and antiviral properties. Lambert (2004) notes that Woad makes a wonderful indigo coloured dye for materials, a safe, biodegradable natural ink, and is also quite useful as a wood preservative apparently. Lambert is at pains to stress is that it is not good as a body paint or tattoo ink. Medicinal WoadUses Medicinal woad plants have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine because of their antibiotic and antiviral properties. There is some evidence that woad is also medicinally active against fungal infections, cancer cells... Woad, also known as woad war paint,[1] or woad-markings,[UOL 1] is a dye, typically blue in color, known for its magical protective properties. Although primarily associated with the Nords,[2][3] who favor it,[UOL 2] it is also used by other cultures.[1][4][5]. She says we can usewoad seed for dye. It looks like woad seed produces a pink-mauve colour without a mordant, and variations of mauve-blue-green with different mordants. In the heart of the problem is the seed of the solution. Woad is known as the European indigo used to support skin and immunity. Explore more about the medicinal uses, safety and side effects of woad. Dyeing Techniques. Handspun wool dyed with woad Most fabrics dyed with plant dyes need to be treated with a mordant to produce a light and water-fast colour but woad can be used without a mordant. Woad was not used only for textile dyes and, for example the illustrators of the Lindisfarne Gospels (late 7th/early 8th century) used a woad-based pigment for the blue. In medieval times there were important woad-growing regions in England, Germany and France. Historical Context and Traditional Use. Woad’s use dates back to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt: there are tomb paintings showing blue-dyed fabrics (circa 3000 BCE). Blue Woad (Isatis tinctoria) was used by ancient Egyptians as one of their earliest dyes, to colour material used to wrap mummies, The common understanding is that Woad was used by the Celts as a form of body art, with blue dye extracted from the plant for use in tattoos and painting. Short answer, woad matters because it is a sustainable alternative to the un-sustainability of synthetic indigo. While woad may seem a very simple plant, it is actually a very amazing one with more uses than just natural dye. Woad root has a mild taste. Woad leaf, on the other hand, has a mustardy, cabbage flavour, similar to many other plants in the brassica family. The leaf and second year closed flowers were used as a food source in famine. The flavour is more pungent in the second year. Used as a natural dye for centuries, woad is now experiencing a revival among those interested in natural dyeing and sustainable practices. Its cultivation and dyeing methods are similar to those of indigo, with the dyeing process requiring the pigment to be solubilized.
