INDIAN MADDER
Rubia tinctorum
The roots of this pretty little flowering plant
have been used around the world since
ancient times to make a striking red dye. A
piece of cotton dyed with madder was found
in India and dates to 3,000 BC, and linens
dyed with madder were also discovered
in the tombs of the Egyptian pharaoh
Tutankhamun!
People have used madder for centuries
to colour leather, wood, silk, wool and
cotton. The colour was extracted using a
complicated process involving all sor ts
of ingredients, including sheep dung and
calf blood! The most refined colours come
from the innermost par ts of the roots, and
forawhile,madderwasthemost sought-
terrr d u n e rrlThere are a whole load of vibrant
colours hiding in the leaves and roots,
bark and seeds of plants all around the
world, and people have been using them
as dyes for centuries!
While modern colours are made from
toxic chemicals, natural ones are much
kinder to the environment.
All kinds of plants, fruits and flowers
can be used as dyes, from beetroots to
carrots, mint to chamomile. Here are some
of the plants that have been making a big,
colourful splash in cultures around the
world for a very long time!tt llittlt flfl ii l tNATURE’SNATURE’S
RAINBOWSRAINBOWS
RED
GOING GREEN!G