Madder is another ancient dye and trade plant, together with weld and woad. The evergreen plant has small, yellow flowers and is native to Asia. The roots are used to produce a pink dye when grown in alkaline soil. Madder-dyed cotton textiles dating from around 5,000 years ago are known from the Indus civilisation. Madder was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for dyeing textiles and to make a pink paint. From the 18th century in England, soldiers’ uniforms and the scarlet coats worn by huntsmen were dyed with madder.
Next: Coreopsis tinctoria (Dyer’s Tickseed)
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