This wild mignonette is bearing slender flower spikes on the Chronological Bed.
The genus Reseda contains over 60 species of annuals, biennials and perennials. Species occur from Europe to Asia and southern Africa, and grow on stony hillsides, scrub and field margins. Members of the genus have alternate, small leaves, and spikes of small, star-shaped flowers with four to ten petals. R. lutea (wild mignonette) is a native of Europe, Central Asia, the Arabian peninsula and southern Africa, where it grows in open sites. This is a biennial or short-lived perennial, which reaches 80cm in height and which grows in open, sunny sites and light shade in poor soils. The small green-yellow, six-petalled flowers are rich in pollen and nectar, and are a valuable food source for bees and butterflies.