Natural Plant Dyeing

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good browns as well as yellows and some
greens. Rhododendron in the higher alti-
tudes and X~g~oli~ grmtdiflora ‘of the
co,astal regions will produce good gray
colors if the foliage is cooked with rop-
peras in an iron pot.
‘I’hca red stems of rhubarb, with oxalic
l!lGl! and tin, give lavender as do the
“tlowers” - ( brncts) of the subtropic gar-
tlrri. fa\-oritr, poinsettia. Piglveed (~h~)lo-
jwffiiinz ulhyri ), fl very obnoxious w~ccl of
\vastr placrs, roadsides and railway em-
bankments, givM a superb nit233 grren
\I-ith nllun ancl (sopper or iron. Tl1.e fruits
01’ all xptJc.irs of sIl11l~c (Rhus), cooked
u itI1 ~.opper;is in an iron pot, also give
oritstanilin~g .Florida and one of theta,
0. compressa, has a listed range as far
north as Sdntucket Island 011 the
northeastern Eoast. :5
* The high tannin of npny of the oaks
(Quercz~) and hemlock (Tsuga) may be
used with iroG >sulfqte for a variety of
grays and Macks. If other pigments are
$resent: tans *and browns=of great perma-
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Pokeweed
nence result. Black oak (f&e&us velu-
tkz), known as the source of the dyestuff
quercitron, has a range extending
throughLnt .the East and as far south as
Georgia. LIlthougll the bark as a dyestuff
is well documented, it is insufficiently
known by today’s dyers.. It is S. year-
round source of yellow& and yell.ow-
orange colors. Southern bayberries. (My:-’
ica spp.) equal their northern counter-,
parts; sassafras, native to both areas, is
famous for its pinky tans.
’ Cochineal
The Opwntia cacti are frequently infested,with
conspicuous white mats of the
scale-covered bodies of the females of
o the insect Dqctylopius COCCUS, cochineal.
\Yhen eibough are gathered all the reds,
purples and okanges known for cochineal
(see also page 57) may be had. Small
quantities yield good intensity dyebaths ”
for limited amounts of wool. Even a weak.
bath may be used more than once because
it is, the character of the pigments to be
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entirely depleted from the bath, given 4..
enough time and mordant. The regular “\ :’
cochineal recipes apply.
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The wide geogrdphic range of the
South with its touches of’qubtropic flora I
and a wealth of species offers the aye? an .
inexhaustible supply of plants from
which&es maS be produced. A multitude ,.
of species remain to be sampled for their
dyebp&enFial.. + a :
WASH.,1 oz. wool in a good soapsuds, then rinse and simmgr it for 1 hour in
5’2 gallon of water to which has been added ‘/2 cup vinegar. Remove the wool
but do not rinse. Now add 2 quarts of ripe berries from pokeweed (Phy!olacca
‘americanal to the vinegar, water and add another l/2 cup of vinegar. Boil
about 30 iinutez. Strain 6nd add enofigh wdter to make ~‘/2 gillon. Add
the wool and simmer l/2 -1 hbur, ,dependi,ng on the shade desired. At no time
allow the wool to“boil. Keep’ the bath $8 the simmering stage and the wooI
constantly pressed down,,under the wat6r. Hang the w’ool to dry. In the next
day or two rinse the wool thorbughly.until the’water”is clear. This dye is.,not
fast to sunlight .-Palmy Weigle ’
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