Dyer's woad was discovered in 1986 in Washington State, growing
along railroad tracks in Kittitas County. In 1992, dyer's woad
was eradicated from this site. The site is monitored
continually, with no new plants found. Removing this plant from
the State is a true success story in the fight against invasive
species; this is one of the very few noxious weeds that have
been eradicated from the State. Dyer's woad is native to Russia,
and was introduced as a crop in 18th-Century England for the
extraction of a blue dye from its leaves. Dyers woad was
introduced to Utah from Ireland in 1910, as a contaminant in
alfalfa seed. The state of Utah has lost millions of dollars in
crop damage and loss of wildlife habitat. Tens of thousands of
acres in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming are infested with this
perennial mustard. Legal status in King County, Washington
Dyer's woad is listed as a Class A noxious weed because of its
impacts and widespread distribution in many western States,
including Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Calif