Notes on dyestuffs

Acacia bark, also known as part of the wattle and mimosa family, is derived from the botanical, Acacia nilotica and contains a high tannin content.

Alizarin is an orange-red dye obtained from the root of the madder plant, Rubia tinctorum.

Areca nut is the fruit of the betel palm, Areca catechu, and as such, is not a true nut. 

Black walnut husks contain a complex cocktail of colorants plus tannins. In Paris, at the Manufacture des Gobelins, a tapestry-weaving centre, walnuts were left to ferment for two years before dyeing to obtain a dark liquid known as brou de noix.

Buckthorn, also known as Persian berries, has been used as a natural dye for hundreds of years, particularly in Turkey for carpets.

Cochineal comes from a female scale insect, Dactylopius coccus, that lives on prickly pear cactus plants. The insects yield a natural carmine dye.

Cutch is an important historical brown dye that comes from the heartwood of the cutch tree, Acacia catechu. Cutch was used to dye calico in India for centuries.

Java Plum is derived from the botanical Syzygium cumini otherwise known as Black Plum. This seed dye has been employed in traditional practices across regions like India and south-east Asia for centuries.

Lac is a natural dye that is extracted from scale insects, Kerria lacca, found in Asia.

Logwood is a tree originally found in the forests of Central America. The dye comes from the heartwood. 

Madder root is one of the oldest natural dyes and has been used for many centuries in Turkey, Iran and India in intricate carpet designs.

Rhubarb root dye is found mostly in the more ornamental varieties of rhubarb that grow in India, Tibet and Nepal.

Sappanwood is derived from Caesilpina sappan (Sappanwood otherwise known as Indian Redwood or Brazilwood) and is an authentic dye from the medieval period.

Sandalwood, Pterocarpus santalinus, is an economically and culturally important tree to many countries including India. It was first used as a dyestuff in ancient times.

Sorghum is an annual grass mostly found in hot, semi-arid environments in Africa and the dye is obtained from the leaf sheaths.

Weld is an ancient dye plant. It is thought to have been used to dye the robes of the Vestal Virgins in Roman times.