Natural Dyes

Power or Force, Solitude or Truth - Allusion to the after life

1. 1Blueberries
2. 2Cornflower - (petals) blue dye with alum, water
3. 3Hyacinth - (flowers) - blue
4. 4Indigo (leaves) - blue
5. 5grapes - purple
6. 6Dogwood - (fruit) greenish-blue
7. 7Purple Iris - blue

• Cherry (roots)
• Saffron - (petals) blue/green
• Blackberry (fruit) strong purple
• Hyacinth - (flowers) - blue
• Japanese indigo (deep blue)
• Red Cedar Root (purple)
• Raspberry -(fruit) purple/blue
• Red Maple Tree (purple)(inner bark)
• Nearly Black Iris - (dark bluish purple) alum mordant
• Dogwood - (fruit) greenish-blue
• Oregon Grape -(fruit) blue/purple
• Purple Iris - blue
• Sweetgum (bark) - purple / black
• Queen Anne's Lace -

The Sun, Joy of Life, Power or Glory

1. 1Saffron (stigmas) - yellow - set with Alum.
2. 2Safflower (flowers, soaked in water) - yellow
3. 3Marigold (blossoms) - yellow
4. 4Burdock (root) - yellow
5. 5Daffodil flower heads (after they have died); alum
6. 6Sunflowers - (flowers) - yellow
7. 7Yarrow - yellow and gold

• Bay leaves - yellow
• Barberry (bark) - yellow
• Crocus - yellow
• Fustic - yellow
• Sassafras (bark)- yellow
• Syrian Rue (glows under black light)
• Red Clover (whole blossom, leaves and stem) alum mordant - gold
• Yellow cone flower (whole flower head); chrome mordant; Brass to Greeney-Brass.
• Onion (skins) - set with Alum.
• Alfalfa (seeds) - yellow
• Willow (leaves)
• Queen Anne's Lace
• Heather - (plant) - yellow
• St. John's Wort - (flowers & leaves) - gold/yellow
• Celery (leaves)
• Golden Rod (flowers)
• Sumac (bark) - The inner pith of Sumac branches can produce a super bright yellow color.
• Weld (bright yellow)
• Old man's beard lichen - yellow/brown/orange shades
• Oregon-grape roots - yellow
• Cameleon plant (golden)
• Mimosa - (flowers) yellow
• Osage Orange also known as Bois d'arc or hedgeapple (heartwood, inner bark, wood, shavings or sawdust) (pale yellow)
• Daffodil flower heads (after they have died); alum mordant
• Mullen (leaf and root) pale yellow. *careful, because the little fuzzy hairs can make one itchy!
• Hickory leaves (yellow) if plenty of leaves are boiled and salt added.
• Tea ( ecru color)
• Yellow, Curly, Bitter, or Butter Dock (despite various leaf shapes, all have a bright yellow taproot) gives you a yellow/flesh color.
• White mulberry tree (bark) Cream color onto white or off-white wool. Alum mordant.
• Paprika -pale yellow - light orange)
• Peach (leaves) - yellow
• Beetroot (yellow) (alum & K2Cr2O7)
• Turmeric (spice) --bright yellow
• Oxallis (wood sorrels) (flowers) - the one with the yellow flowers. Use the flower heads, some stem ok. It is nearly fluorescent yellow, and quite colorfast on alum mordanted wool.
  If the oxalis flowers are fermented or if a small dash of cloudy ammonia is added to the dyebath (made alkaline) the fluorescent yellow becomes fluorescent orange. Usually I do this as an after-bath, once I have the initial colour. Useful for shifting the dye shade, and some good surprises in store!
• Dahlia Flowers (Red, yellow, orange flowers) make a lovely yellow to orange dye for wool.
• Mulga Acacia -(flowers) - yellow
• Dyer's Greenwood (shoots) - yellow
• Tansy (tops) - yellow

Humility and Piety, Devotion

1. 1Alder Bark - (orange)
2. 2Bloodroot will give a good orange to reddish orange color.
3. 3Sassafras (leaves)
4. 4Turmeric dyed cloth will turn orange or red if it is dipped in lye.
5. 5Pomegranate – with alum anywhere from orange to khaki
6. 6Eucalyptus - (leaves and bark) beautiful shades of tan, orange and brown.
7. 7Giant Coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea) Yields bright permanent orange with alum.

• Onion (skin) - orange
• Lichen (gold)
• Carrot - (roots) orange
• Lilac (twigs) - yellow/orange
• Barberry (mahonia sp.) yellow orange (with alum) very strong & permanent. Any part of the plant will work.
• Butternut - (seed husks) - orange

Fertility

1. 1Oak bark will give a tan or oak color.
2. 2Sumac (leaves) - tan
3. 3Walnut (hulls) - deep brown (wear gloves)
4. 4Acorns (boiled)
5. 5Beetroot -Dark Brown With FeSO4
6. 6Birch (bark) - Light brown/ buff - Alum to set
7. 7Maple Trees (Red Leaf Buds) - red-brown color when dried. Found on branches before new leaves appear only present during early spring and throughout fall.

• Wild plum root will give a reddish or rusty brown.
• Dandelion (roots) brown
• Broom - (bark) - yellow/brown
• Walnut (husks) - deep brown - black
• Tea Bags - light brown, tan
• White Birch - (inner bark) - brown
• Juniper Berries
• Fennel - (flowers, leaves) - yellow/brown
• Coffee Grinds
• Hollyhock (petals)
• Colorado Fir - (bark) - tan
• Yellow dock (shades of brown)
• Amur Maple (Acer Ginnala) - black, blue, brown from dried leaves.
• Ivy - (twigs) - yellow/brown
• Pine Tree Bark - light medium brown. Needs no mordant.
• White Maple (bark) - Light brown/ buff - Alum to set
• St John's Wort (blossom) - brown
• Broom Sedge - golden yellow and brown
• Coneflower (flowers) - brownish green ; leaves and stems - gold
• Goldenrod (shoots ) - deep brown