Keltareseda (siemenet) - Reseda lutea

Reseda lutea, the yellow mignonette or wild mignonette, is a nectar-rich short-lived perennial, often biennial, that self-seeds spontaneously and forms a light carpet of yellow-green spikes attractive to bees and butterflies. Very hardy, undemanding in terms of water and a lover of calcareous or stony soils, it suits gardens without irrigation. It can be sown directly in its final position.

Belonging to the Resedaceae family, Reseda lutea is the typical botanical species. It is a short-lived perennial or biennial: it first forms a rosette of leaves, then develops flowering stems and seeds that readily self-seed in place. The plant has an upright, slightly bushy habit with stems 20 to 80 cm tall, angular and more or less rough to the touch. The clump spreads 30 to 50 cm. The deciduous foliage is pale green; basal leaves are obovate to oblong, entire or three-lobed, while upper leaves are divided into 3 to 7 narrow, wavy segments. Flowering runs from May to September in long, loose spikes. Each small yellow-green to creamy yellow flower has 5 to 6 deeply divided petals, 6 spreading sepals and 12 to 20 visible stamens. The scent is subtle, lighter than that of garden mignonette, but sufficient to attract numerous pollinators. Small oblong capsules of 7 to 9 mm follow, containing shiny black seeds viable for several years. A robust taproot enables Reseda lutea to withstand dry periods once established.

Reseda lutea suits naturalistic gardens and flower meadows, sown in drifts along a vegetable garden edge, on a bank or in a dry rockery. It combines well with grasses and undemanding perennials, such as Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster', Knautia macedonica 'Mars Midget', Dianthus carthusianorum and Origanum laevigatum 'Herrenhausen'.

Reseda lutea has been known since Antiquity for its dyeing properties: its aerial parts yield a yellow dye used for wool or silk, formerly mixed with madder and indigo to produce greens and oranges. The young leaves were eaten locally, raw or cooked, and the plant was used in folk medicine — the name Reseda derives from the Latin for "to calm" or "to soothe".