SafePlants

Yellow Mignonette (Reseda lutea)

Reseda lutea, commonly known as yellow mignonette or wild mignonette, is a fragrant herbaceous plant with a rich history and interesting ecological interactions.

Considerations for Pets

• This is a broadleaf perennial weed.
• The plant can grow to 0.8 meters (2ft 7in).

Considerations for Children

• The plant can grow to 0.8 meters (2ft 7in).

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Reseda lutea L.
• Common Names: Yellow Mignonette, Wild Mignonette, Yellow Cut-leaved Mignonette, Cutleaf Mignonette, Base Rocket.
• Family: Resedaceae (Mignonette Family)
• Rank: Species

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia Minor.
• Observed along roadsides in Hungary.
• Found on waste ground, along footpaths, and the margins of fields.

Morphological Characteristics

• Herbaceous plant.
• Grows to a height of 0.8 meters (2ft 7in) and a width of 0.5 meters (1ft 8in).
• Biennial or short-lived perennial.
• Flowers are green-yellow with 6 sepals and 6 petals, densely clustered.
• Leaves are mostly small, pinnately lobed with one or two pairs of lobes on each side.
• Medium to tall, branched, bushy, hairless plant.
• Conical spikes of small, unscented, green-yellow flowers.
• Leaves are a pale green-yellow.

Ecological Role

• Attracts wildlife, especially bees.
• Deep-rooted perennial weed of rotational broadacre cropping.

Traditional Uses

• The roots have been used since the first millennium BC to make a yellow dye called "weld".

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Strongly associated with habitats that contains plentiful mignonettes are Hylaeus.

Quirky Facts

• The Latin name lutea means yellow and refers to the flower color and saffron yellow dye extracted from the plant.