Woad is an interesting biennial plant, flowering in its second and last year of life. Although it has abundant clusters of tiny bright yellow flowers, its main use was as the source of a blue dye. Before indigo became available from the Far East, woad had been cultivated for centuries in Europe for textile use. Woad reportedly exhausts the soil like tobacco plants do and cannot be grown in the same place for long. Both woad and plant-derived indigo eventually were largely replaced by synthetic dyes, but, ironically, because woad produces a biodegradable dye, it may become widely used again in modern inks. In Chinese medicine, dried root of woad (Ban Lan Gen) is considered to be one of the best anti-viral medicines and is used to treat mumps, measles, other febrile diseases, sore throats, and various other conditions. The leaves of woad contain very high levels of glucobrassicin, a substance also in broccoli, that may give that plant cancerpreventive qualities. It should be noted, however, that woad is not edible.

Part used::
Roots, Leaves

Origin:
Asia

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Origin:
Native to Afghanistan and Western Tibet. Now cultivated as an ornamental.

Action:
Plant—used in the form of an ointment for ulcers, oedematous and malignant tumours.
Leaves— antimicrobial, antifungal.

1) Hull, Kathleen; Photog. Hull, Meredith /Indiana Medical History Museum: Guide to the Medicinal Plant Garden./ USA: Indiana Medical History Museum. 2010. -- p. 58.

2) Khare, C.P./ Indian Medicinal Plants. -- Nueva Dheli: Springer, 2007 . - p. 342.