Before 1850, Americans grew Dyer’s woad for blue dye; in the Great Basin, one infestation later grew from 12,000 to 150,000 acres in eight years

Dyer’s woad ( Isatis tinctoria ) was once commonly cultivated by American settlers as a source of blue dye. The plant proved too effective at spreading, and it eventually became one of the most invasive species in the American West. According to the USDA Forest Service, weed specialists in the Great Basin have documented one infestation that grew from 12,000 to 150,000 acres in eight years.

A plant with a surprisingly chill backstory