Madder’s leafy tops sprawl untidily over the ground and their clusters of tiny yellow-green flowers are insignificant.  Yet, to the dyer, madder is a miracle of color because its roots contain alizarin, one of the most valuable red dye pigments ever known.

Haritaki is so named because it grows in the abode of Hara (the Himilayas); it is green (harita) in the natural colour and it cures (harayet) all diseases.

The dyestuff known as cutch or catechu is an extract usually made from the heartwood of Acacia catechu, a small thorny tree.  It yields orange-brown dyes that are rich in tannin, and was used in India calico printing before its introduction to the West.  It is used mainly to dye cotton and silk.

Indigo’s ability to produce an extensive range of beautiful blue shades has made it the most successful dye plant ever known.  The commercially available indigo powder is made from the leaves of Indigofera tinctoria, which requires hot, sunny and humid growing conditions to flourish.

Turmeric belongs to the same family as ginger.  Sometimes known as “Indian saffron”, it is the source of the familiar yellow color of many Asian curry dishes.  Both the culinary spice and the dye are obtained from its root.  Turmeric was and still is used for textile painting and printing in India.

The outer skin of this common vegetable is one of the most useful and readily available dyestuffs. It is ideal for the novice dyer’s first experiments since it reliably produced rich, vibrant shades of orange, yellow, rust and brown on all fibers, and does not impart any odor to the dyed material.