Dye Garden Plant List

Plant Botanical Name Type Height Flower Bloom Time Plant Mordant Part Dye Color on Wool
brassy yellow

Agrimony

Agrimonia eupatoria

perennial

3-4 ft.

yellow

July/August leaves and stems mid-summer roots

alum

Alkanet

Anchusa offinicinalis Sanguinaria canadensis

biennial

1-3 ft.

blue

red dye to foods none orange

Bloodroot

perennial

6-14 in.

white

spring

roots

roots roots

alum tin

rust reddish pink clear yellow

Bronze Fennel

Foeniculum annual vulgare 'Purpurascens' Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum' perennial

3-6 ft.

yellow

summer

whole plant

alum

Black-eyed Susan

2-3 ft.

gold

summer

leaves and stems flower heads

alum

gold and dull orange olive green yellow

alum

Coreopsis

Coreopsis grandiflora

perennial

1-2 ft.

yellow daisy early summer

flower and stalk

alum

copper Dahlia Dahlia spp. tender per. 10in. - 5 ft. all but blues summer to frost yellow June flowers alum

brown yellow to orange yellow

Dyer's Broom

Genesta tinctoria

shrub

2-3 ft.

all parts alum

Plant

Botanical Name

Type

Height

Flower

Bloom Time

Plant Mordant Part

Dye Color on Wool

yellow

Dyer's Chamomile (Golden Marguerite)

Anthemis tinctoria

perennial

2 ft.

yellow daisy mid summer flower

alum

flower

tin, chrome gold, orange alum greens gold, orange, rusty red blue alum reds

leaves Dyer's Coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria annual 1-2 ft.

gold, mid summer flowers, alum maroon, biwhole color plant yellow white spring early summer summer leaves leaves

Dyer's Woad

Isatus tinctoria biennial perennial

1ft. 1ft.

Dyer's Woodruff Asperula tinctoria Elecampane

Inula helenium perennial

4-6 ft.

yellow

roots

Scottish tartan blues, purple bright yellows, golds brown golden orange

Goldenrod

Solidago spp. perennial

up to 5 ft.

gold

late summer flower and stalk

alum

chrome Heather Calluna vulgaris shrublet 12-18 in. pinkish purple mid summer leaves& alum flower buds summer light alum colored flowers dark alum colored flowers Indigo Indigofera tinctoria shrub 3 ft. violet summer leaves

Hollyhock

Alcea rosea

perennial

4-8 ft.

dark rose, red, black

yellow, gold, brown lilac, purple, mauve indigo blue

Plant

Botanical Name

Type

Height

Flower

Bloom Time

Plant Mordant Part

Dye Color on Wool

red, brick, coral yellow, dull gold yellow

Lady's Bedstraw

Galium verum perennial

2-3 ft.

yellow

early summer

roots

alum

flower

alum

Lady's Mantle

Alchemilla vulgaris

perennial

10- 18 in.

yellow

early summer

Madder

Rubia tinctoria perennial

2ft.

pale little flowers yellow, orange summer to frost

roots

alum

shades of red yellow, gold, orange red to foods yellow to foods

Marigold

Tageles erecta, t. patula Perilla fructescens Calendula officinalia

annual

12in.- 3 ft.

flowers alum

Purple Perilla

annual

3 ft.

bronze leaves orange/ yellow pink summer to frost summer

leaves

Pot Marigold

annual

12 in -3 ft.

flowers

Purple Basil

Ocimum annual basilicum purpurescens Hibiscus moscheutos 'Lord Baltimore' Perovskia atriplicifolia perennial

2 ft.

tops of plants

alum

dark browns

Rose Mallow

3-6 ft.

reds, rosy reds

summer

flowers alum

browns, black

Russian Sage

subshrub

3-4 ft.

blues

mid/late summer fall

flowers

blue

Saffron

Crocus sativus bulb

8 in.

white

stigmas

yellow dye for food yellows, yellowgreen Yellow/ green

Scotch Broom

Cytisus scoparius

Shrub

6 ft.

yellow

late spring

flower/g alum reen stems alum

Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

annual

4-6 ft.

gold

summer/fall flower heads

Plant

Botanical Name

Type

Height

Flower

Bloom Time

Plant Mordant Part

Dye Color on Wool

Yellow/, gold, olive green yellow

Tansy

Tanacetum vulgare

perennial

3+ ft

gold

summer

flower and stalk flower and stalk flower and stalk

alum

Weld

Reseda luteola

biennial

2-4 ft.

yellowish

late spring

alum

copper

greenish yellow

Yarrow

Achillea millefollium

perennial

2-3 ft.

yellow

early summer

flower and stalk flower and stalk roots and stalk

alum

yellow

Yellow Comos

Cosmos sulphureus

annual

1-3 ft.

yellow

summer

alum

orange

Yellow Root

Xanthorrhiza simplicissima

perennial

2 ft.

yellow

Zinnia

Zinnia elegans annual

1-3 ft.

red, orange summer to pink frost

flowers alum

beige, tan

Researched and compiled by Riekie Sluder, The New England Unit of The Herb Society of America. Updated 4/06

Source: http://www.neuhsa.org/files/dye_garden_plant_list.htm