Coreopsis tinctoria
Nuttal Weed
![Yellow petal flower with Deep-Red center. Dye Colour: Reddish-Orange and Orange.](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.botanic.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Coreopsis-tinctoria-Red-1024x680.png)
Accession Number |
Taxon Name |
Common Name |
Family |
20171239*B |
Coreopsis tinctoria |
Nuttal Weed |
Asteraceae |
Provenance |
Part of Plant |
Location Code |
Season |
N America |
Fruits |
NW14-2 |
Summer – Autumn |
Method:
- Heat dried or fresh flowers in water and reduced by half
- Add bicarbonate of Soda (pH8) = Orange
- Add Alum mordant to the dye (pH2) = Red
Hedera helix
Ivy
![Clustered Dark-Purple berries. Dye Colour: Red and Deep Purple.](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.botanic.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hedera-helix-Red-1024x681.png)
Accession Number |
Taxon Name |
Common Name |
Family |
19971027*A |
Hedera helix |
Ivy |
Araliaceae |
Provenance |
Part of Plant |
Location Code |
Season |
Garden Origin |
Berries |
NE7 |
Spring |
Method:
- 40g of ripe ivy berries are heated in 100g of white wine and 8g of powdered Gum Arabic, then reduced to 50g. The dye is then sieved through a fine mesh then reheated and reduced to 15g of dye. It is left to stand for a day.
- Add Alum mordant (pH2) = Reddish Purple
Cambridge Open Engage: Goats Blood, Tablets and Sacred Ivy
Helleborus x hybridus
Hellebore
![Purple flower with light sunburst radiating from the centre which is dark. Dye Colour: Pink and Purple.](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.botanic.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Helleborus-x-hybridus-Red-1024x682.png)
Accession Number |
Taxon Name |
Common Name |
Family |
20172816*A |
Helleborus x hybridus |
Hellebore |
Ranunculaceae |
Provenance |
Part of Plant |
Location Code |
Season |
Garden Origin |
Flowers |
NE19-5 |
Spring |
Method:
- Divide the petal from the fresh flowers and heat in water (pH8)
- Add Tin mordant (pH2) = Pink-Purple
- Add Potash mordant (pH12) = Light Pink
Morus nigra
Black Mulberry
![Red berries with Green jaggered leaves. Dye Colour: Red and Pink.](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.botanic.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morus-nigra-Red-1024x681.png)
Accession Number |
Taxon Name |
Common Name |
Family |
19880440*A |
Morus nigra |
Black Mulberry |
Moraceae |
Provenance |
Part of Plant |
Location Code |
Season |
Endemic to Iran |
Berries |
SE4 |
Summer |
Method:
- Heat the ripe berries in water and reduced by half or more (pH3)
- Add Alum Mordant to the dye (pH4) = Reds & Pinks
Malvaviscus arboreus
Red Hibiscus
![Red flower pod with Green leaves. Dye Colour: Red, Terracotta and Pink.](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.botanic.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Malvaviscus-arboreus-Red-1024x684.png)
Accession Number |
Taxon Name |
Common Name |
Family |
10006227*A |
Malvaviscus arboreus |
Red Hibiscus |
Malvaceae |
Provenance |
Part of Plant |
Location Code |
Season |
New World |
Flowers |
NW15-9.5 |
Autumn |
Method:
- Soak the flowers over night and heat up and reduce down.
- Add Alum mordant dye (pH4) = Light Pinks & Reddish Pinks
- Add Potash Mordant (pH12) = Yellowish Tans
- Add Iron Sulphate (pH1) = Browns & Tans
- Add tin Mordant (pH2) = Pinks
Papaver rhoeas
Common Poppy
![Cluster of Red flowers wih a purple cross centre and light stigma. Dye Colour: Red and Purple.](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.botanic.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Papaver-rhoeas-Red-1024x680.png)
Accession Number |
Taxon Name |
Common Name |
Family |
20140057*C |
Papaver rhoeas |
Common Poppy |
Papaveraceae |
Provenance |
Part of Plant |
Location Code |
Season |
Old World |
Flowers |
SW5-4 |
Summer – Autumn |
Method:
- Heat poppy petals in white wine, reduce to 1/4
- Add Alum mordant, Gum Arabic and isinglass (pH3) = Red Ink
- Add Tin mordant and a little chalk to the ink = Purple pigment
- Add the dye to china clay = Pink pigment
- Mix pigment with Gum Arabic or Egg White to make a paint
Rubia tinctorum
Madder
![Dull Reddish-Light-Brown roots. Dye Colour: Red, Pink, Orange and Terracotta.](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.botanic.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rubia-tinctorum-Red-1024x681.png)
Accession Number |
Taxon Name |
Common Name |
Family |
19550247*B |
Rubia tinctorum |
Madder |
Rubiaceae |
Provenance |
Part of Plant |
Location Code |
Season |
Old World |
Roots |
SE4 |
All Seasons |
Method:
- Soak the roots over night and heat up gently in hard water for an hour keeping the temperature below 60ºC
- Add Alum mordant dye (pH4) = Reds & Pinks / Oranges
- The colour will vary depending on which material you use to dye
- The plant should be more than 3 years old before harvesting
Sarcococca confusa
Sweet Box
![Black berries with Yellowish-Green leaves. Dye Colour: Pink, Purples and Blues.](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.botanic.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sarcococca-confusa-Red-1024x681.png)
Accession Number |
Taxon Name |
Common Name |
Family |
19550372*B |
Sarcococca confusa |
Sweet Box |
Adoxaceae |
Provenance |
Part of Plant |
Location Code |
Season |
Old World |
Ripe Berries |
NW2 |
Summer – Autumn |
Method:
- Crush the berries (pH7) with some water-vinegar
- Add Alum mordant (pH2) = Blues / Violet Blue / Purple
- Add Tin mordant (pH1) = Reddish Purples
![](https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.botanic.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Botanic-Dyes-Logo-2-1024x863.jpg)