Natures Plant Dyes

 Plants to consider for creating a landscape filled with natural dyes for  foods, natural fabrics, skin care & hair products and wool.

Remember to make sure that plant dyes using for food dishes are not safe to eat.  For example Crocsmia and Saffron will turn rice dishes into rich shades of orange and yellow that is safe to eat, however Grape Hyacinth used to dye egg shells for Easter is not safe to eat.

Berries

  • Blackberries – Blue
  • Blueberries –  Blue
  • Elderberries – Violet, Blue to Blue-Grey Spectrum
  • Huckleberries – Lavender  (can be used for ink)
  • Raspberries – Red-Pink Spectrum
  • Red Current’s – Pink (pale)

Common Weeds

  • Burdock – Red
  • Dandelion Flowers – Yellow, Leaves – Pink, & Roots – Brown
  • Dock Leaves – Brown, Red using Chrome mordant, Green using Iron mordant, Roots – Yellow
  • Nettle – Green
  • Plantain – Green
  • Purple Milkweed – Leaves & Flowers – Green

Flowers

  • Agrimony – Green,  Fresh Leaves & Stems –  Brassy Yellow with Alum mordant alum
  • Bedstraw   Leaves & Flowers – Yellow & Roots – Red (with mordant – Plum)
  • Betony   –   Leaves &  Flowers – Chartreuse with Alum Mordant
  • Black Eyed Susan – Olive-Apple Green
  • Borage – Purple/Blue
  • Butterbur – Leaves – Green
  • Butterfly Bush –  Flowers – Yellow,  Leaves & Flowers – Gold
  • Butterfly Pea  Blue
  • Calla Lily
  • Calendula
  • Chicory – Orange
  • Clary – Dark Brown
  • Comfrey – Brown
  • Coneflower – Green
  • Crocosmia – Flowers – Orange
  • Daylilies Flowers (old)  – Coral/Peach to Red-Purple Spectrum
  • Echinacea
  • Euphorbia (Fireglow)
  • Evening Primrose – Black
  • Feverfew – Yellow-Green
  • Foxglove Flowers – Apple-Green
  • Fushia
  • Geranium – Blue/Grey to Brown
  • Grape Hyacinth  Flowers- Blue
  • Goldenrod Flowers – Yellow, New Shoots- Brown
  • Gumweed
  • Hibiscus Flower (Dried)  – Red-Brown Spectrum Food Colouring
  • Hollyhock Flowers – Brown
  • Hyacinth Flowers – Blue
  • Indigo – Blue
  • Iris Flowers (Purple) – Blue, Roots – Black
  • Ivy Stems – Yellow-Brown
  • Ladies Mantle
  • Larkspur – Green with Alum mordant
  • Licorice
  • Madder – Brown, Red Lacquer with Alum mordant or Garnet with Chrome mordant, Roots – Pink
  • Mallow
  • Marigold
  • Nasturtium
  • Lavender – Pink
  • Lichen  – Gold, Purple, Red
  • Lilac Stems  – Yellow-Orange Spectrum
  • Marigold – Yellow-Tan Spectrum
  • Meadowsweet – Black
  • Mullein Flowers – Yellow -Light Green Spectrum
  • Oxalis
  • Pansy
  • Peony
  • Polyanthus
  • Queen Anne Lace – Blue
  • Red Clover – Whole Plant – Gold
  • Rose Flowers – Pink, Hips – Red
  • Salsify – Yellow
  • Saint John’s Wort
  • Snap Dragon Flowers – Green
  • Sunflower Flowers – Yellow-Orange Spectrum
  • Sweet Woodruff – Tan, with Alum mordant – red
  • Tansy – Dark Green with Iron mordant
  • Tickseed
  • Violets Flowers – Purple
  • Weld Leaves & Flowers – Orange
  • Woad Leaves -Blue range
  • Yarrow Flowers – Yellow – Green Spectrum, Whole Plant – Green with Iron mordant

Fruit

  • Avocado Skins & Pit – Pink
  • Cherries – Pink
  • Pomegranate Fresh – Red/Pink Shades, Ripe – Brown
  • Strawberries – Pink

Grasses

  • Bamboo Leaves – Sage Green
  • Gorse – Yellow-Green Spectrum
  • Ribbon Grass
  • Broom Sedge – Golden Yellow & Brown

Herbs (Fresh)

  • Alfalfa Seeds – Yellow
  • Angelica – Green
  • Basil Leaves & Stems – Purple Grey
  • Bay Leaves – Yellow
  • Chamomile Leaves – Green
  • Fennel Flowers & leaves – Brown
  • Fenugreek – Yellow
  • Horseradish – Yellow
  • Licorice – Black
  • Marjoram – Green with Alum mordant, Olive Green with Chrome mordant
  • Mint – Khaki Green
  • Oregano – Deep Brown/Black
  • Peppermint – Khaki Green
  • Saffron Petals – Blue/Green, Stigmas –  with Alum mordant
  • Sage – Grey-Green Spectrum with Iron mordant

Nuts

  • Acorns – Brown
  • Walnut Hulls – Black

Shrubs & Trees

  • Alder Bark – Orange, Leaves – Grey-Black Spectrum
  • Ash (White) Bark – Yellow
  • Barberry Leaves & Stems –  Yellow Orange, Root Greenish Bronze-Gold Spectrum
  • Birch Bark – Light Brown
  • Black Walnut – Grey-Black Spectrum
  • Broom Flowers – Yellow/Brown,  Stems – Green
  • Camilla – Pink Magenta
  • Cedar (Red) Root – Purple
  • Cherry Tree Roots – Pink Purple
  • Chokecherries – Red-Brown Spectrum
  • Crab Apple Bark – Yellow-Red Spectrum
  • Dogwood  Bark- Blue
  • Elder – Grey-Black Spectrum
  • Elder Berry Bark – with iron mordant – grey
  • Eucalyptus Bark – Orange, Leaves – Gold Tan
  • Grand Fir Bark – Pink
  • Hawthorn Stems, Leaves, Flowers – Oatmeal, Yellow to Golden Yellow
  • Hemlock Bark  –  Red-Brown Spectrum
  • Henna – Orange to Deep Red-Brown
  • Hydrangea Flowers  –  Celery Green with Alum & Copper mordant –
  • Juniper Berries – Brown
  • Lilac Flowers – Delicate Green
  • Maple Tree Buds – Red-Brown
  • Maple (Amur) – Dried Leaves – Black, Blue, Brown
  • Maple (Red) Inner Bark – Purple
  • Mulberry (White) Tree Bark – Off White
  • Oak Bark – Tan Brown
  • Oregon Grape Berries – Blue, Leaves & Roots – Brown to Gold, Roots – Yellow
  • Peach Leaves – Yellow-Green Spectrum
  • Pine Bark – Medium Brown
  • Pine (Red) – Nettles – Dark Green
  • Potentilla Roots – Brown-Red Spectrum, with iron mordant – Purple-Red Spectrum
  • Popular – Brown to Red Spectrum
  • Privet – Berries Blue
  • Sumac Bark- Tan, Fruit – Red (Light), Leaves – Black
  • Sycamore Bark – Red
  • Tea Tree – Flowers – Green & Black
  • Yew (Japanese) Wood – Red-Brown Spectrum
  • Willow Leaves – Wheat Yellow Spectrum
  • Willow (Weeping) – Leaves & Bark – Peach-Brown Spectrum (tannin will act as mordant)

Spices

  • Paprika – Orange – Yellow Spectrum
  • Tumeric – Orange

Veggies

  • Artichokes – Green
  • Beet Roots – Brown
  • Cabbage (Red) – Purple-Blue Spectrum
  • Carrots – Orange
  • Onion (yellow) – bright to burnt Orange depending upon mordant
  • Onion  (red) – Red-Orange Spectrum 
  • Sorrel – Pink, Roots – Dark Green
  • Spinach – Green

Articles by Living in Nature on Dying with Nature:

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Copyright 2014 – 2021  Living in Nature’s Love by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP,
Feldenkrais® Practitioner since 2007, Communication & Empathy Coach since 2004, Art of Placement  since 2000
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