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Dyeing Plant Species in the
Gardens of Species

Plant colourings help us rediscover the history of dyeing plants and the regions where they are cultivated or harvested. They are full of historical and cultural value. Dyeing plants were used up until the end of the 19th Century.

The rich history of dyeing plants is a natural part of the Herboretum spirit, in its cultural as well as artistic dimension. Many painters have in fact shown an interest in plant colouring with natural and ecological factors, at the same time providing true quality and specific beauty.

Some Colours offered by Nature’s Palette...

Blue

Woad (Isatis tinctoria), whose leaves carry indigo precursors.

This pigment was already used by Celts. In the Middle Ages, Woad indigo was the most popular pigment in Europe. By fermenting the Woad, one obtained indigo blue, and this was a jealously guarded technique. In France, large areas of land were dedicated to Woad cultivating, in the Castelnaudary region. The leaves are ground and kneaded to make balls from which indigo was extracted, used to dye the fabric from Nîmes which was exported to the United States and used for the first, famous "Denim Jeans".

Red

Madder (Rubia tinctorum)

Its presence has been noticed in wall paintings dating back to the 2nd Century B.C. Madder was dyers’ main source of red in Europe in the Middle Ages. The root’s cortex contains a mix of red pigments used since time immemorial in various areas: dyeing, cosmetics, graphic arts... It was used, for example, on the first French flags. It was also used to dye the ‘madder-red’ trousers of the French army soldiers until the beginning of the First World War. Madder lacquer is used in graphic arts as a source of pink and red.

Yellow

Dyer’s Broom (Genista tinctoria)

The wealth and intensity of the colour of the plant’s flower, which grows worldwide, certainly contributed to its widespread use to represent the sun, gold, and light. Decocting the small branches gives a slightly green, yellowish colour, whilst the dye simply extracted from the flower gives a brighter yellow, due to the the carotenoids and the presence of extra pigments of the flavonoid family in the petals. The flowers and the flowering small branches were thus used to dye wool a lemony yellow. The flowers were used in graphic arts to make yellow lacquer.