Herbarium Biosphärenpark Wienerwald

A Listing of Plant Material Available for Dyes
Alder (Alnus sp.): no mordant necessary for bark, twigs and cones, mordant recommended for leaves; use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts. Alnus incana: Native Americans used a decoction of the inner bark as a reddish orange dye for quills. Kwakiutl, Southern Dye, Orange: the bark of Alnus rubra (Red Alder) was used to make an orange dye. Eskimo, Alaska Dye: the bark soaked in water gives a rusty orange dye used to color tanned skins.
American Elder (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis): Cahuilla Dye, Orange: Stems used to make a orange dye.
Annatto (Bixa orellana): Seeds, harvested when seed pots open; no mordant necessary, use half the weight of dyestaff to fibers.
Barberry (Mahonia aquifolium): Roots, bark (shredded, boiled) and leaves were used by Native Americans to make a yellow/orange dye; alum mordant recommended for strong and permanent colors.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis): Ojibwa Dye, Orange: Fresh or dried roots used as an orange dye to paint faces with clan marks. The roots were used in four or five combinations in dyeing various materials; with alum mordant they will give orange to reddish colors.
Brazilwood (Caesalpinia sp.): Heartwood (wood chips or shavings); mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for stong reds and claret colors from the first dye bath
Canaigre Dock (Rumex hymenosepalus): Navajo Dye, Orange: Dried, ground roots used as a orange dye. The roots were sometimes dried and stored indefinitely. When ready for use, the dried roots were ground. By this aging process, various shades were obtained, from a greyed yellow to a dull red. Several handfuls of the fresh roots boiled in water yield a lemon yellow, and when more of the root was used and boiled longer, a soft orange or orange brown was obtained. If the mixture was boiled in an iron vessel, the reaction formed a red brown or mahogany dye. When mixed with indigo, a green dye was produced.
Common Yellow Oxalis (Oxalis stricta): Meskwaki Dye, Orange: Whole plant boiled to obtain an orange dye.
Compact Dodder (Cuscuta compacta): Pawnee Dye, Orange: Boiled vines used as an orange dye.
Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris): An orange to yellow dye is obtained from leaves and bark.
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.): Leaves and bark, harvested all year; no mordant needed but can be used to extend color range, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and bark, more for strong colors
Giant Coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea): Yields bright permanent orange with alum.
Golden Marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria): Flowers fresh or dried; a dye bath with chrome mordant gives golden/orange colors
Green Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus): Navajo Dye, Orange: Flowers boiled with roasted alum and used as a light-orange dye for leather, wool and basketry.
Juniper (Juniperus monosperma): The bark is gray-brown, exfoliating in thin longitudinal strips, exposing bright orange brown underneath; the Navajo made a dye from the bark and cones.
Madder (Rubia tinctorum): Roots harvested in spring or fall when plants are two years old, plant tops harvested from late fall to winter; alum mordant recommended for true reds, tin mordant for orange; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Navajo tea (Thelesperma megapotamicum): Native American groups such as the Hopi and Navajo use this plant to make a yellow dye.
Onion (Allium cepa): Peels give orange color on wool.
Oregongrape (Mahonia repens): Great Basin Indian Dye, Orange: Plant used to make an orange dye.
Pinnata Dahlia (Dahlia pinnata): Navajo Dye, Orange-Yellow: Roots and flowers used as a yellow-orange dye.
Sanderswood, Saunderswood (Pterocarpus santalinus): Heartwood (powder or wood chips), mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers, a copper modifier gives attractive shades of claret-brown
Sand Fringedpod (Thelesperma subnudum): Navajo Dye, Orange: Leaves, stems and blossoms used as an orange dye for wool.
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra): Kiowa Dye, Orange-Yellow: Spring roots used as a yellow, orange dye.
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina): Leaves harvested in summer, bark harvested all year; no mordant needed, alum mordant with bark gives vivid orange on animal fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for strong colors from leaves and bark
Turkey Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum): An orange to yellow dye for animal fibers is obtained from the plant.
Veiny Dock (Rumex venosus): Great Basin Indian Dye, Orange: Peeled root used to make a burnt orange dye. The procedure involved was described by children at the Wind River Community Day School as follows: 'We break the roots into inch pieces. We then spread them out very thin on papers. We place them in the sun. We let it get very dry. After it is very dry we put it into water. We let it soak for a few days. We then boil it in the water it has soaked in. After it has boiled a long time we put some alum in it. This sets the color.'
Woods' Rose (Rosa woodsii): Arapaho Dye, Orange: Root used to make an orange dye.
Alder (Alnus sp.): no mordant necessary for bark, twigs and cones, mordant recommended for leaves; use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts. Native Americans, Mountain Alder (Alnus incana): Bark boiled and used as a reddish brown dye. Lummi Dye, Red-Brown: Bark of Red Alder (Alnus rubra) made into a red to brown dye and used to make fish nets invisible to fish. Iroquois Dye, Brown: Bark of the American Green Alder (Alnus viridis ssp. crispa) used as a brown dye for wool.
American Chestnut (Castanea dentata): Cherokee Dye, Brown: Bark used to make a brown dye.
Amur Maple (Acer Ginnala): black, blue, brown from dried leaves.
Annatto (Bixa orellana): Seeds, harvested when seed pots open; no mordant necessary, use half the weight of dyestaff to fibers.
Apple (Malus sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to fall) and bark (harvested all year); mordant recommended for leaves as dyestuff for vegetable fibers but mot for animal fibers, bark needs no mordant, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and bark
Arizona Walnut (Juglans major): Navajo Dye, Brown: Nut hulls used as a golden brown dye. Young twigs used as a light brown dye.
Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris): Crops give beige colors on wool.
Blackberry (Rubus sp.): Berries give beige colors on wool.
Black Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa): Great Basin Indian Dye, Red-Brown: Inner bark used to make a red-brown dye.
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra): Cherokee Dye, Brown: Bark, roots and husks used to make a brown dye.
Blue Potato (Solanum tuberosum): Blue potatoes produce beige colors on animal fibers.
Bog Labradortea (Ledum groenlandicum): Potawatomi Dye, Brown: Leaves used to make a beverage and also used as a brown dye material.
Bog myrtle, Sweet gale (Myrica gale): Leaves and twigs harvested from early summer to mid-fall; mordant is recommended but not essential if twigs are added to the dye bath, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and twigs
Bracken, Brake (Pteridium aquilinum): Leafy fronds, young fronds harvested in spring, mature fronds harvested from summer to fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Brazilwood (Caesalpinia sp.): Heartwood (wood chips or shavings); mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for stong reds and claret colors from the first dye bath
Buckthorn (Rhamnus sp.): Bark (harvested all year) and berries (mature or immature, harvested from early summer to fall); for bark no mordant required, berries need mordant; use half the weight of dyestuff to fibers for bark and berries
Butternut Tree (Juglans cinerea) Butternut bark and nut rinds were once used to dye cloth to colors between light yellow and dark brown. The husks contain a natural yellow-orange dye. To produce the darker colors, the bark is boiled to concentrate the color. No mordant needed.
Canaigre Dock (Rumex hymenosepalus): Navajo Dye, Brown: Dried, ground roots used as a brown dye. The roots were sometimes dried and stored indefinitely. When ready for use, the dried roots were ground. By this aging process, various shades were obtained, from a greyed yellow to a dull red. Several handfuls of the fresh roots boiled in water yield a lemon yellow, and when more of the root was used and boiled longer, a soft orange or orange brown was obtained. If the mixture was boiled in an iron vessel, the reaction formed a red brown or mahogany dye. When mixed with indigo, a green dye was produced.
Catechu (Senegalia catechu): heartwood (extract available as chunks, granules or powder)
Common Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria): Brown dyes for animal and vegetable fibers can be obtained from the whole flowering plant.
Coreopsis, Tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora, C. lanceolata, C. tinctoria, C. verticillata): Flowers and plant tops, harvested from Midsummer to late fall; mordant recommended, use equal lweights of dyestuff and fibers for both flowers and plant tops
Dock, Sorrel, Curled dock: Leaves harvested from early summer to early fall, roots harvested all year; no mordant necessary for animal fibers, but alum mordant required for vegetable fibers; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii): Swinomish Dye, Brown: Bark boiled and used on fish nets as a light brown dye to make them invisible to the fish.
English Walnut (Juglans regia): Leaves (harvested from late spring to fall) and the outer green husks (harvested in fall); no mordant required, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for leaves, use at least half the weight of nut husks to fibers. Navajo Dye, Brown: Nut hulls used as a golden brown dye.
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.): Leaves and bark, harvested all year; no mordant needed but can be used to extend color range, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and bark, more for strong colors
Fern (Dryopteris filix -mas): The natural colors produced by these fern leaves range from light browns to very dark browns.
Four O'clock (Mirabilis sp.): Navajo Dye, Brown: Petals boiled and used as a light brown dye for wool.
Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus): Brown dyes for animal and vegetable fibers can be obtained from the whole flowering plant.
Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.): Flowers (harvested in spring), berries, leaves and twigs (harvested in fall); use alum mordant for clear colorfast yellows from flowers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts
Heather (Calluna vulgaris): Flowers, plant tops, harvested mid- to late summer; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both flowers and plant tops
Henna (Lawsonia inermis) Powdered leaves; no mordant required, use half the weight of the dyestuff to fibers
Hopi Tea Greenthread (Thelesperma megapotamicum): Hopi Dye, Red-Brown: Flowers used as a reddish brown dye for basket making yucca fibers.
Japanese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria): Leaves harvested from Midsummer to mid-fall; no mordant for blues required but use an alum mordant fot tans, use three times the weight of dyestuff to fibers. More info...>
Juniper (Juniperus communis): Leafy shoots (harvested all year) and berries (harvested from summer to fall); mordant recommended for vegetable fibers, but not necessary for animal fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leafy shoots and berries
Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi): Great Basin Indian Dye, Brown: Berries used to make a gray-brown dye.
Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris): Brown dyes for animal and vegetable fibers can be obtained from the whole flowering plant.
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana): Mahuna Dye, Brown: Bark blended with other oak barks and roots and used to make a light or dark brown dye for buckskin.
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana): Mahuna Dye, Brown: Bark blended with other oak barks and roots and used to make a light or dark brown dye for buckskin.
Medlar (Mespilus germanica): Leaves produce brown colors on animal fibers.
Oak (Quercus sp.): Bark and oak galls (harvested all year), leaves harvested from spring to fall, acorns harvested in fall; no mordant needed, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for bark, leaves, oak galls and acorns, using small amounts of iron modifier gives attractive grays
Onion (Allium cepa): Red skin fresh or dried: no mordant necessary, but a mordant or an iron or copper modifier improves colorfastness and extends the range, tin mordant gives tan/brown colors, chrome mordant gives dark tan colors; ; use half the weight of fibers to dyestuff. Yellow skin fresh or dried: no mordant necessary, but a mordant or an iron or copper modifier improves colorfastness and extends the range, iron mordant gives brown colors; use half the weight of fibers to dyestuff
Madder (Rubia tinctorum ): Roots harvested in spring or fall when plants are two years old, plant tops harvested from late fall to winter; alum mordant recommended for true reds, tin mordant for orange; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Mahonia (Mahonia sp.): Leaves (harvested all year) and berries (harvested from late summer to early winter); no mordant necessary but alum mordant improves colorfastness, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Oregano, Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare): Brown dyes can be obtained from the whole flowering plant. More info...>
Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii): Thompson Dye, Brown: Bark boiled to make an intense brown dye and used to color bitter cherry bark for imbricating baskets.
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera): Okanagan-Colville Dye, Brown: Inner bark used to make a brown dye.
Pea (Pisum sativum): Crops give brown colors on animal fibers.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum): Outer skins or whole fruits; no mordant required, use at least half the weight of dyestuff to fibers, using an iron modifier will give greeny-brown shades
Rudbeckia, Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan: Flowers, leaves and stems harvested from summer to fall; mordant recommended, use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum): Flowers (harvested in Midsummer) and plant tops (harvested from summer to fall); mordant recommended for plant tops (alum gives medium yellow, chrome gives bright yellow) , use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts
Sanderswood, Saunderswood (Pterocarpus santalinus): Heartwood (powder or wood chips), mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers, a copper modifier gives attractive shades of claret-brown
Skunkbush Sumac (Rhus trilobata): Great Basin Indian Dye, Red-Brown: Bark and leaves used to make a red-brown dye.
Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus): Beige colors can be produced on wool fibers.
Stansbury Cliffrose (Purshia stansburiana): Navajo Dye, Yellow-Brown: Pounded leaves and stems mixed with pounded juniper and used to make a yellow brown dye.
Sweetgale (Myrica gale): Ojibwa Dye, Brown: In the fall, the branch tips grow into an abortive scale and boiled to yield a brown dye stuff.
Tea (Camellia sinensis): Beige colors are produced from leaves on animal fibers.
True Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus): Navajo, Ramah Dye, Brown: Decoction of root bark used as a brown dye for buckskin and wool.
Water Birch (Betula occidentalis): Okanagan-Colville Dye, Brown: Inner bark used to make a brown dye.
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla): Hesquiat Dye, Red-Brown: Bark, especially from the inside of a crevice, used as a reddish-brown dye. Bark was used to dye the rope used in halibut fishing to make it invisible to the fish. Canoes were often painted with a solution of this bark in water. This stain was made by steeping the bark in water for many days, until the liquid was bright red.
White Ratany (Krameria grayi): Pima Dye, Brown: Dry roots ground, boiled in water and used as a brown dye for basket making.
White Spruce (Picea glauca): Cree, Woodlands Dye, Yellow-Brown: Rotten wood used as a yellow brown dye for white goods.
Wild Chives (Allium schoenoprasum var. sibiricum): Great Basin Indian Dye, Brown: Bulb skin used as a golden-brown dye.
Avocado: Skin and seed (shredded) give a light pink hue.
Blackcurrant (Ribus nigrum): Pink color can be obtained from the berries.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis): Fresh roots with alum mordant give reddish pink colors
British soldiers lichen (Cladonia critatella): A pink, brown, or wine colored dye can be produced.
Cherries (Prunus avium): Rose colors can be obtained on wool fibers.
Field Horsetail (Equisetum arvense):Blackfoot Dye, Red: Crushed stems used as a light pink dye for porcupine quills.
Madder (Rubia tinctorum ): Roots, pink and coral colors
Pear (Pyrus communis): Leaves (harvested late spring to fall) and bark (harvested all year); for leaves as dyestuff mordant required (especially on vegetable fibers); use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for leaves; for bark no mordant required, use at least half the weight of dyestuff to fibers for bark
Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana): Fresh fruit with alum mordant give pink colors
Roses and Lavender: with a little mint and some lemon juice to activate the alkaloids can make both a brilliant pink dye and a very tasty pink lemonade.
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius): Flowers, harvested in late summer; no mordant needed for pinks and reds, but alum mordant improves the fastness of yellows; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Winged Pigweed (Cycloloma atriplicifolium): Hopi Dye, Red: Seeds used to produce a pink dye.
Woad (Isatis tinctoria): Fresh, young leaves with alum mordant give pink colors
Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra): Chippewa Dye, Blue: Bark used to make a blue dye in a manner similar to that of blue ash.
Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus): Leaves, canes and leafy shoots harvested from spring to fall, berries harvested in fall; no mordant necessary, but alum mordant increases fastness, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Black Carrot (Daucus carota): Juice of the crops gives violet on animal fibers.
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa): Fruits (harvested in fall), leafy shoots and bark (harvested all year) and blossoms (harvested in spring); mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts, fruits produce better colors on vegetable colors
Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis):Cherokee Dye, Blue: Used to make a blue dye.
Dwarf Mountain Lupine (Lupinus lyallii): Navajo Dye, Blue: Flowers used to make a blue dye.
Elder, Elderberry (Sambucus sp.): Leaves harvested from late spring to early fall, bark harvested all year, bedrries harvested in fall; bark needs no mordant, leaves with alum mordant give brighter colors, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Horseflyweed (Baptisia tinctoria): Cherokee Dye, Blue: Used to make a blue dye.
Indigo (Indigofera sp.): Leaves (dye powder), harvested from late summer to fall; the dye liquid has to be alkaline in order to dissolve the blue producing indigo dye matter, and also any oxygen must be removed from the dye vat in order for 'indigo-blue' to be able to convert in so-called 'indigo-white', indigo will only become permanently fixed to fibers in this 'white' state, when the fibers are lifted out of the vat the oxygen in the air converts the 'indigo-white' back into 'indigo-blue', and the blue color is fixed to the fibers.
Japanese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria): Leaves harvested from Midsummer to mid-fall; no mordant for blues required but use an alum mordant fot tans, use three times the weight of dyestuff to fibers. More info... >
Little Larkspur (Delphinium bicolor):Blackfoot Dye, Blue: Flowers used as a light blue dye for quills.
Pale Bastard Toadflax (Comandra umbellata ssp. pallida):Arapaho Dye, Blue: Area next to the root bark used as a blue dye.
Narrowleaf Gromwell (Lithospermum incisum): Great Basin Indian Dye, Blue: Roots used to make a blue dye.
Nightshade (Solanum sp.): Costanoan Dye, Blue: Fruits used to prepare a permanent blue dye for tattooing.
Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa): Cheyenne Dye, Blue: Roots used to make a blue dye.
Red Grapes (Vitis vinifera): Berries give a mauve dye.
Skunkbush Sumac (Rhus trilobata): Navajo Dye, Blue: Used to make a blue dye.
Woad, Dyer's woad (Isatis tinctoria): Leaves (harvested from Midsummer to mid-fall) and seeds (harvested from summer to fall); no mordant needed for blues and tans from leaves; alum mordant gives soft green from seeds; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers. More info... >
Alder (Alnus sp.): no mordant necessary for bark, twigs and cones, mordant recommended for leaves; use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts. Alnus incana: Native Americans used the powder with grindstone dust or black earth to make a black dye; the bark boiled to make a bright orange/reddish/brown dye; the inner bark pounded, steeped and boiled to make a yellow dye. Thompson Dye, Red: boiled in water to make a red dye and used for mountain goat wool, cloth and other items. The dye was used to color mountain goat wool and other cloth and to deepen the color of basket materials such as bitter cherry bark. Skins were tanned and dyed simultaneously by soaking them in a cooled solution of the bark. Okanagan-Colville Dye, Red-Brown: Bark and wood of American Green Alder (Alnus viridis ssp. crispa) used to make red and brown dyes.
American Plum (Prunus americana): Chippewa Dye, Red: Inner bark boiled with other inter barks and bloodroot and used to make a red dye. Navajo Dye, Red: Roots used as a red dye for wool.
Beetroot (Beta vulgaris): The crop produces red colors on wool.
Black Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana): Great Basin Indian Dye, Red: Fruit used to make a dark red dye. Inner bark used to make a red-brown dye.
Blisterwort (Ranunculus recurvatus): Menominee Dye, Red: Boiled root used for red coloring.
Blite Goosefoot (Chenopodium capitatum): Thompson Dye, Red: Calyx crushed and red stain used on the face, body, clothes, wood and skins.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis): Cherokee Dye, Red: Roots used as a red dye in basket making. Chippewa Dye, Red: Roots dug in the fall and boiled with the inner barks of other trees and used to make a red dye. Menominee Dye, Orange-Red: Boiled root used to dye mats orange red. Meskwaki Dye, Red: Root cooked to make a red face paint and to dye baskets and mats red. Ojibwa Dye, Red: Roots boiled to obtain a red dye. Omaha Dye, Red: Root boiled with objects as a red dye. Ponca Dye, Red: Root boiled with objects as a red dye. Winnebago Dye, Red: Root boiled with objects as a red dye.
Blue Fieldmadder (Sherardia arvensis): Cherokee Dye, Red: Used to make a red or rose dye.
Brazilwood (Caesalpinia sp.): Heartwood (wood chips or shavings); mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for stong reds and claret colors from the first dye bath
Canaigre Dock (Rumex hymenosepalus): Navajo Dye, Red: Dried, ground roots used as a red dye. The roots were sometimes dried and stored indefinitely. When ready for use, the dried roots were ground. By this aging process, various shades were obtained, from a greyed yellow to a dull red. Several handfuls of the fresh roots boiled in water yield a lemon yellow, and when more of the root was used and boiled longer, a soft orange or orange brown was obtained. If the mixture was boiled in an iron vessel, the reaction formed a red brown or mahogany dye. When mixed with indigo, a green dye was produced.
Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus): Navajo Dye, Red: Outer seed coatings boiled and used as a dull, dark red dye.
Durango Root (Datisca glomerata): Costanoan Dye, Red: Roots used as a red dye.
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides): Cheyenne Dye, Red: Brown, gummy leaf buds scratched and used to make a red dye.
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis): Chippewa Dye, Red-Brown: Bark used to make a mahogany colored dye. Menominee Dye, Red: Boiled bark used for dark red coloring. Ojibwa Dye, Red-Brown: Bark used with a little rock dust to dye materials a dark red brown.
Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana): Chippewa Dye, Red-Brown: Bark used to make a mahogany colored dye for coloring cedar strips in mats.
Elm (Ulmus sp.): Bark harvested all year, leaves harvested from late spring to fall; no mordant required for bark, for leaves alum mordant is recommended; use at least equal weights of dyestuff an fibers
Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus copallinum): Cherokee Dye, Red: Berries used to make red dye.
Four O'clock (Mirabilis sp.): Navajo Dye, Red: Petals boiled for about fifteen minutes and used as a light red dye.
Fourwing Saltbush (Atriplex canescens): Navajo, Ramah Dye, Red: Leaf and twig ash used to intensify red color of buckskin dye.
Hairy Puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense): Dried or pulverized roots boiled and used to make a red dye.
Hopi Tea (Thelesperma megapotamicum): Hopi Dye, Red-Brown: Used to make a fine reddish-brown basketry and textile dye.
Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia ): Shoshoni Dye, Red: Roots used as red dye in basketry.
Lacy Spleenwort (Asplenium horridum): Hawaiian Dye, Red: Juice used as a red dye.
Lady's bedstraw, Yellow bedstraw (Galium verum): Roots harvested in late fall after at least two years' growth; alum mordant recommended, use four times the weight of dyestuff to fibers for reds, less for tan and coral shades
Littleleaf Ratany (Krameria erecta): Papago Dye, Red: Roots peeled, cut, split, boiled and used as a red dye for buckskins, garments and cotton.
Madder (Rubia tinctorum): Roots harvested in spring or fall when plants are two years old, plant tops harvested from late fall to winter; alum mordant recommended for true reds, tin mordant for orange; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers. More info... >
Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis laevigata var. reticulata): Navajo Dye, Red-Brown: Leaves and branches boiled into a dark brown or red dye for wool.
Northern Bedstraw: Galium boreale: Cree Dye, Red: Decoction of roots used as a red dye and set with alum for porcupine quills.
Oak (Quercus texana, Qu. velutina, Qu. virginiana): Choctaw Dye, Red: Burned bark of Nuttall Oak (Quercus texana) and black gum ash added to water and used as a red dye. Ojibwa Dye, Mordant: Black Oak (Quercus velutina) bark used for a reddish yellow dye and to set its own color. Houma Dye, Red: Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) roots and bark boiled to make a red basket dye. Mahuna Dye, Red: Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) bark blended with other oak barks and roots and used to make a red dye for buckskins.
Paintbrush (Castilleja miniata): Great Basin Indian Dye, Red-Brown: Blossoms used to make a red-tan dye.
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera): Chippewa Dye, Red: Inner bark boiled, cedar ashes added and used to make a red dye.
Pennsylvania Buttercup (Ranunculus pensylvanicus): Ojibwa Dye, Red: Entire plant boiled to yield a red coloring dye and bur oak added to set the color.
Plains Pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha): Navajo Dye, Red: Dead, ripe fruits used to make a cardinal dye.
Pomegranate: Whole fruit or the peel of, between purple-red to pink from fresh pomegranate, and a brown color from very overripe (beginning to rot) pomegranate.
Pussy Willow (Salix discolor): Blackfoot Dye, Red: Spring buds used to make a red dye.
Red Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus): Hopi Dye, Red: Flowers used to color bread red for certain dances.
Redosier Dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea): Chippewa Dye, Red: Inner and outer bark boiled, cedar ashes added and used to make a red dye.
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius): Flowers, soaked in alcohol give red colors. More info...>
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum): Flowers (harvested in Midsummer) and plant tops (harvested from summer to fall); mordant recommended for plant tops (alum gives medium yellow, chrome gives bright yellow) , use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts
Sandbar Willow (Salix interior): Potawatomi Dye, Red: Willow and some other species of willow used for a scarlet dye.
Sand Fringedpod (Thelesperma subnudum): Hopi Dye, Red-Brown: Used to make a fine reddish-brown basketry and textile dye.
Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea): Blackfoot Dye, Red: Berries used to make a red dye.
Skunkbush Sumac (Rhus trilobata): Dakota Dye, Red: Ripe, red fruits boiled with another plant to make a red dye. Great Basin Indian Dye, Red-Brown: Bark and leaves used to make a red-brown dye.
Small Soapweed (Yucca glauca): Navajo, Ramah Dye, Red: Juice boiled alone for a red dye.
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra): Cherokee Dye, Red: Berries used to make red dye. Chippewa Dye, Red: Fruit used to make a dull, red dye.
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina): Cherokee Dye, Red: Berries used to make red dye.
Stiff Marsh Bedstraw (Galium tinctorium): Micmac Dye, Red: Roots used to make a red dye for porcupine quills.
Tickseed (Coreopsis tinctoria): Zuni Dye, Red: Blossoms used with other flowers as a mahogany red dye for yarn.
True Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus): Jemez Dye, Red: Bark, alder bark and birch bark boiled together and used as red dye to paint moccasins.
Twoneedle Pinyon (Pinus edulis): Jemez Dye, Red: Gum from old and new trees used as a red paint for jars and bowls.
Veiny Dock (Rumex venosus): Cheyenne Dye, Red: Roots and dried leaves boiled and used as a red dye.
Water Birch (Betula occidentalis): Jemez Dye, Red: Bark, mountain mahogany bark and alder bark boiled together and used as red dye to paint moccasins.
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla): Clallam Dye, Red-Brown: Bark boiled and used to make a reddish-brown dye. Hesquiat Dye, Red-Brown: Bark, especially from the inside of a crevice, used as a reddish-brown dye. Bark was used to dye the rope used in halibut fishing to make it invisible to the fish. Canoes were often painted with a solution of this bark in water. This stain was made by steeping the bark in water for many days, until the liquid was bright red. Klallam Dye, Red-Brown: Bark boiled and used as a red-brown dye. Makah Dye, Red-Brown: Inner bark pounded, boiled and used as a red-brown dye.
Yellow Owlclover (Orthocarpus luteus): Blackfoot Dye, Red: Leaves crushed and pressed firmly into skins, horsehair and feathers as a red dye.
Alder (Alnus sp.): no mordant necessary for bark, twigs and cones, mordant recommended for leaves; use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts. Alnus incana: Native Americans used the powder with grindstone dust or black earth to make a black dye; the bark boiled to make a bright orange/reddish/brown dye; the inner bark pounded, steeped and boiled to make a yellow dye. Chippewa Dye, Black: Mountain Alder (Alnus incana) was used with grindstone dust or black earth to make a black dye. Kwakiutl, Southern Dye, Black: Red Alder (Alnus rubra) bark was used to make a black dye.
Alpine Spicywintergreen (Gaultheria humifusa): Navajo Dye, Black: Used to make a black dye.
American Elder (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis): Cahuilla Dye, Black: Berry juice used as a black dye for basket materials.
American Hazelnut (Corylus americana): Chippewa Dye, Black: Burs boiled with inner bark of bur oak, added to black earth and butternut and used as a black dye. Ojibwa Dye, Mordant: Seed hulls and butternut boiled together and the hull tannic acid sat the black butternut color.
Ash (Fraxinus sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to early fall) and bark (harvested all year); no mordant necessary for wool but recommended for other fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and bark
Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus): Leaves, canes and leafy shoots harvested from spring to fall, berries harvested in fall; no mordant necessary, but alum mordant increases fastness, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Blackcurrant (Ribus nigrum): Grey color can be obtained from the berries.
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa): Fruits (harvested in fall), leafy shoots and bark (harvested all year) and blossoms (harvested in spring); mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts, fruits produce better colors on vegetable colors
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra): Chippewa Dye, Black: Bark used to make a black dye. Dakota Dye, Black: Roots and nuts used to make a black dye. Kiowa Dye, Blue-Black: Roots boiled to make a bluish, black dye for buffalo hides. Meskwaki Dye, Black: Wood and bark charred to make the best black dye. Omaha Dye, Black: Nuts used to make a black dye. Pawnee Dye, Black: Nuts used to make a black dye. Ponca Dye, Black: Nuts used to make a black dye. Winnebago Dye, Black: Nuts used to make a black dye.
Buckthorn (Rhamnus sp.): Bark (harvested all year) and berries (mature or immature, harvested from early summer to fall); for bark no mordant required, berries need mordant; use half the weight of dyestuff to fibers for bark and berries
Butternut (Juglans cinerea): Cherokee Dye, Black: Young roots used to make a black dye. Chippewa Dye, Black: Inner bark and a little of the root boiled with black earth and ochre (or hazel) to make a black dye. Menominee Dye, Black: Bark boiled with blue clay to obtain a deep black color.
Common Devilsclaw (Proboscidea louisianica): Shoshoni Dye, Black: Dried pods used as black dye, pieces buried in wood ashes to deepen the shade.
Dyer's alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria): In water, the roots yield shades of gray and purple.
Elder, Elderberry (Sambucus sp.): Leaves harvested from late spring to early fall, bark harvested all year, bedrries harvested in fall; bark needs no mordant, leaves with alum mordant give brighter colors, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus copallinum): Cherokee Dye, Black: Berries used to make black dye.
Hinds' Black Walnut (Hinds' Black Walnut): Pomo, Kashaya Dye, Black: Nut husk used in dying bulrush root a black color for making basket design.
Ivy (Hedera helix): Leaves (harvested all year) and berries (harvested from winter to spring); mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and berries, dyes from ivy are more suitable for animal fibers
Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia): Shoshoni Dye, Black: Roots used as black dye in basketry.
Logwood (Haematoxylon campechianum): Heartwood (wood chips); alum mordant for purples required, iron mordant gives gray, use half of the weight of wood chips as dystuff to fibers
Mistletoe (Phoradendron sp.): Cahuilla Dye, Black: Leaves used to dye basket weeds permanently black.
Oak (Quercus sp.): Bark and oak galls (harvested all year), leaves harvested from spring to fall, acorns harvested in fall; no mordant needed, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for bark, leaves, oak galls and acorns, using small amounts of iron modifier gives attractive grays. Diegueno Dye, Black: Acorn cups of Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis) soaked in water containing iron and used as a black dye to color basket materials. Pomo, Kashaya Dye, Black: Round, fleshy insect galls on California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii) made into a dark hair dye. Concow Dye, Black: Bark of California White Oak (Quercus lobata) used to blacken strands of red buds for basket making. Chippewa Dye, Black: Inner bark of Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) boiled with green hazel burs, added to black earth and butternut and used as a black dye. Omaha Dye, Black: Bark of Red Oak (Quercus rubra) used to make a black dye for porcupine quills. Mahuna Dye, Black: Bark of Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) blended with other oak barks and roots and used to make a black dye for buckskins.
Orange Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa): Thompson Dye, Black: Stems used as a black dye for bitter cherry.
Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii): Thompson Dye, Black: Bark and fir bark boiled into a black dye and used to dye bitter cherry bark for imbricating baskets.
Pacific Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum): Pomo Dye, Black: Juice used as a black dye for blackroot sedge.
Raspberry (Rubus idaeus): Grey color can be obtained from berries.
Redosier Dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea): Chippewa Dye, Black: Used with grindstone dust or black earth to make a black dye.
Salal (Gaultheria shallon): Karok Dye, Black: Berries rubbed over basket caps as a black stain.
Sea Blite (Suaeda sp.): Cahuilla Dye, Black: Plants boiled in water and used as a black dye for palm mats.
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum): Omaha Dye, Black and Winnebago Dye, Black: Twigs and bark made into a black dye and used in tanning leather. The twigs and bark of new growth were boiled with water. A clay which contained iron was mixed with grease and then roasted; then it was mixed with the boiled twig and bark water. Tanned hides were soaked in this solution for two or three days to get the right color; treatment for a shorter period of time resulted in a brownish color and for a longer time resulted in black.
Skunkbush Sumac (Rhus trilobata): Great Basin Indian Dye, Black: Twigs and pine gum used to make a black dye. Navajo, Ramah Dye, Black: Leaves boiled to dye basketry, wool and leather black. Cherokee Dye, Black: Berries used to make black dye.
Small Soapweed (Yucca glauca): Navajo, Ramah Dye, Black: Juice mixed with yellow soil for a black dye.
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra): Cherokee Dye, Black: Berries used to make black dye. Plains Indian Dye, Black: Leaves, bark and roots used to make a black dye.
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina): Leaves harvested in summer, bark harvested all year; no mordant needed, alum mordant with bark gives vivid orange on animal fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for strong colors from leaves and bark
Tumbling Saltweed (Atriplex rosea): Navajo, Ramah Dye, Black: Used as a black dye.
Twoneedle Pinyon (Pinus edulis): Navajo, Ramah Dye, Black: Gum used to make black dye. A black dye was made from pinyon gum, the leaves and twigs of sumac and a native yellow ocher. The sumac leaves were put in water and allowed to boil until the mixture became strong. While this was boiling, the ocher was powdered and roasted. Pinyon gum was then added to the ocher and the whole roasted again. As roasting proceeded, the gum melted and finally the mixture was reduced to a black powder. This was cooled and thrown into the sumac mixture, forming a rich blue-black fluid which was essentially an ink. When this process was finished the wool was put in and allowed to boil until it was dyed the right shade. This same dye was also used to color leather and buckskin.
Western Inflated Sedge (Carex exsiccata): Shoshoni Dye, Black: Roots used as black dye in basketry.
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla): Bark chopped into small pieces, pounded, crushed and boiled to make a black dye.
Wholeleaf Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja integra): Zuni Dye, Black: Root bark used with minerals to color deerskin black.
Wild Sunflower (Helianthus sp.): Helianthus sp.: Seeds used to make a black textile and basketry dye. Hualapai Dye, Black: Seeds used to make a black dye.
Willow (Salix sp.): Leafy stems harvested from early spring to late fall, bark harvested all year; for leafy stems as dyestuff on animal fibers no mordant necessary, but alum mordant required for vegetable fibers; bark needs no mordant, but alum mordant produces brighter colors; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers. Micmac Dye, Black: Roots used to make a black dye. Montagnais Dye, Black: Roots used to make a black dye.
Alkanet (Anchusa tinctoria): The colors produced by this natural dye are beautiful natural shades of pink to purple. The dye is extracted from the natural root of the plant.
American Elder (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis): Cahuilla Dye, Purple: Berry juice used as a purple dye for basket materials.
Antelope Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata): Great Basin Indian Dye, Purple: Seed coats used to make a violet dye. Klamath Dye, Purple: Outer seed coat used as a purple stain to produce temporary color on arrows, bows and other objects. Montana Indian Dye, Purple: Outer seed coats used to make a purple stain for wood.
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana): Navajo Dye, Purple: Roots used to make a purple dye.
Dark Hollyhock (Alcea rosea): Flowers harvested throughout summer, mordant recommended, use equal weights of flowers and fibers.
Dyer's alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria): In water, the roots yield shades of gray and purple.
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides): Cheyenne Dye, Purple: Brown, gummy leaf buds scratched and used to make a purple dye.
Elder (Sambucus nigra): Red-brown to rose and violet colors can be produced from the berries.
Four O'clock (Mirabilis sp.): Navajo Dye, Purple: Petals boiled and used as a purple dye for wool.
Hardy hibiscus, Rose mallow (Hibiscus sp.): Use red and deep pink flowers only, harvested from Midsummer to late fall; no mordant necessary for animal fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Lady's bedstraw, Yellow bedstraw (Galium verum): Roots harvested in late fall after at least two years' growth; mordant recommended, use four times the weight of dyestuff to fibers for reds, less for tan and coral shades
Logwood (Haematoxylon campechianum): Heartwood (wood chips); alum mordant for purples required, iron mordant gives gray, use half of the weight of wood chips as dystuff to fibers
Missouri Ironweed (Vernonia missurica): Kiowa Dye, Purple: Flowers used as a purple dye.
Narrowleaf Gromwell (Lithospermum incisum): Montana Indian Dye, Purple: Root used to produce a violet colored dye.
Ovalleaf Blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium): Hesquiat Dye, Purple: Berries and devil's club inner bark boiled to make a purple stain.
Twinberry Honeysuckle (Lonicera involucrata): Hesquiat Dye, Purple: Mashed berries boiled to make a purple paint.
Wild Plum (Cerasus crenulata): Navajo Dye, Purple: Roots used to color wool purple.
Wild Sunflower (Helianthus sp.): Hopi Dye, Purple: Seeds used to make a purple dye for basketry and textiles. Hualapai Dye, Purple: Seeds used to make a purple dye.
Alder (Alnus sp.): no mordant necessary for bark, twigs and cones, mordant recommended for leaves; use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts.
Apple (Malus sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to fall) and bark (harvested all year); mordant recommended for leaves as dyestuff for vegetable fibers but mot for animal fibers, bark needs no mordant, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and bark
Barberry (Berberis vulgaris, B. thunbergii): all plant, fresh or dried; no mordant necessary, use half the weight of dyestuff to fibers, more for deep shades, with mordant iron: dark green
Birch (Betula sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to early fall), bark (harvested all year; Leaves: use a mordant, use equal weights of dyestaff and fibers; Bark: no mordant necessary, use equal weights of dyestaff and fibers.
Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus): Leaves, canes and leafy shoots harvested from spring to fall, berries harvested in fall; no mordant necessary, but alum mordant increases fastness, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa): Fruits (harvested in fall), leafy shoots and bark (harvested all year) and blossoms (harvested in spring); mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts, fruits produce better colors on vegetable colors
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra): Cherokee Dye, Green: Leaves used to make a green dye.
Bog myrtle, Sweet gale (Myrica gale): Leaves and twigs harvested from early summer to mid-fall; mordant is recommended but not essential if twigs are added to the dye bath, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and twigs
Bracken, Brake (Pteridium aquilinum): Leafy fronds, young fronds harvested in spring, mature fronds harvested from summer to fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Buckthorn (Rhamnus sp.): Bark (harvested all year) and berries (mature or immature, harvested from early summer to fall); for bark no mordant required, berries need mordant; use half the weight of dyestuff to fibers for bark and berries
Canada Yew (Taxus canadensis): Micmac Dye, Green: Leaves used to make a green dye. Montagnais Dye, Green: Leaves used to make a green dye.
Canaigre Dock (Rumex hymenosepalus): Navajo Dye, Green: Dried, ground roots used as a green dye. The roots were sometimes dried and stored indefinitely. When ready for use, the dried roots were ground. By this aging process, various shades were obtained, from a greyed yellow to a dull red. Several handfuls of the fresh roots boiled in water yield a lemon yellow, and when more of the root was used and boiled longer, a soft orange or orange brown was obtained. If the mixture was boiled in an iron vessel, the reaction formed a red brown or mahogany dye. When mixed with indigo, a green dye was produced.
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana): Navajo Dye, Green: Fruits used to make a green dye.
Comfrey (Symphytum sp.): Leaves harvested from early summer to fall; no mordant needed for wool, but improves fastness; alum mordant required for vegetable fibers; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Dahlia (Dahlia sp.): Flowers, leaves and stems, harvested fom late summer to mid-fall; mordant recommended for flowers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for strong colors from all parts
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Flowers and leaves harvested from spring to fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers; dyes tend to produce brighter colors on animal fibers
Dock, Sorrel, Curled dock (Rumex crispus): Leaves harvested from early summer to early fall, roots harvested all year; no mordant necessary for animal fibers, but alum mordant required for vegetable fibers; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Dwarf Mountain Lupine (Lupinus lyallii): Navajo Dye, Green:Used to make a green dye.
Dyer's chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria): Flowers, leaves and stalks, harvested throughout the growing season; mordant recommended, use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers, more dyestuff for strong colors
Dyer’s Greenweed, Woadwaxen (Genista tinctoria): Plant tops, harvested throughout the growing season; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Dyer’s mulberry (Maclura tinctoria): Heartwood (wood chips), no mordant needed but use of a mordant will increase the colorfastness of the dye; use at least half the weight of dyestuff to fibers
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides): Cheyenne Dye, Green: Brown, gummy leaf buds scratched and used to make a green dye.
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.): Leaves and bark, harvested all year; no mordant needed but can be used to extend color range, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and bark, more for strong colors
Fringed Sagewort (Artemisia frigida): Great Basin Indian Dye, Green: Leaves used to make a green dye.
Garden Onion (Allium cepa): Iroquois Dye, Green: Bulb peelings used as a green dye for wool. Navajo Dye, Green: Used for a green dye.
Goldenrod (Solidago sp.): Plant tops and flowers harvested from early summer to early fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Howard's Rabbitbrush (Ericameria parryi): Hopi Dye, Green: Bark used to obtain a green dye.
Ivy (Hedera helix): Leaves (harvested all year) and berries (harvested from winter to spring); mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and berries, dyes from ivy are more suitable for animal fibers
Japanese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria): Leaves harvested from Midsummer to mid-fall; no mordant for blues required but use an alum mordant fot tans, use three times the weight of dyestuff to fibers
Mate (Ilex paraguarensis): Mate leaves are a natural green dye.
Mexican Rush (Juncus mexicanus): Shoshoni Dye, Green: Roots used as green dye in basketry.
Oak (Quercus sp.): Bark and oak galls (harvested all year), leaves harvested from spring to fall, acorns harvested in fall; no mordant needed, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for bark, leaves, oak galls and acorns, using small amounts of iron modifier gives attractive grays
Oneseed Juniper (Juniperus monosperma ): Keres, Western Dye, Green: Green twigs rubbed on moccasins as a green dye. Navajo Dye, Green: Bark and berries used as a green dye for wool.
Pear (Pyrus communis): Leaves (harvested late spring to fall) and bark (harvested all year); for leaves as dyestuff mordant required (especially on vegetable fibers); use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for leaves; for bark no mordant required, use at least half the weight of dyestuff to fibers for bark
Plum (Prunus sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to early fall) and bark (harvested all year); mordant is needed for leaves as dyestuff for vegetable fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers; no mordant is necessary for bark, use half the weight of dyestuff to fibers for strong colors from bark
Pomegranate (Punica granatum): Outer skins or whole fruits; no mordant required, use at least half the weight of dyestuff to fibers, using an iron modifier will give greeny-brown shades
Pursh's Buckthorn (Frangula purshiana): Skagit Dye, Green: Bark boiled and used as a green dye for mountain-goat wool.
Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. rubra): Olive colors can be obtained from leaves.
Red onion (Allium cepa): Skin, a medium green, lighter than forest green; no mordant necessary, but a mordant or an iron or copper modifier improves colorfastness and extends the range, use half the weight of fibers to dyestuff
Rhubarb (Rheum sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to summer) and roots harvested all year; no mordant required, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for leaves, use half the weight for roots
Rowan (Sorbus sp.): Leaves and leafy twigs harvested from early summer to fall; mordant recommended for leaves only, alum mordant recommended for a mixed dye bath with leaves and twigs; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa): Hopi Dye, Green: Bark used to obtain a green dye. Navajo Dye, Green: Immature flowers, leaves or green bark boiled with heated alum and used as a green dye for wool.
Rudbeckia, Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia sp.): Flowers, leaves and stems harvested from summer to fall; mordant recommended, use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina): Leaves harvested in summer, bark harvested all year; no mordant needed, alum mordant with bark gives vivid orange on animal fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for strong colors from leaves and bark
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica): Plant tops harvested from spring to fall; use of a mordant is recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers. Makah Dye, Green: Leaves rubbed on fishing line to give it a green color or used as medicine for good fishing. An informant said, 'As a child I saw my father when he'd take this halibut line, fish line, and he'd tighten it from one end of the yard to the other, while it was being stretched like that, otherwise they coil and tangle you know. He'd take a handful of those leaves and he'd rub it along the line and it gave it kind of a green color. I don't know if that was just for the color or if he thought there was some medicine in it or something, for good fishing or something. Might have been just to tint the line.'
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare): Plant tops and flowers harvested from summer to fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Turmeric (Curcuma longa): Roots; no mordant necessary, use half the weight of dyestaff to fibers; an iron modifier gives olive green shades, an alkaline modifier gives reddish-orange tones
Walnut (Juglans regia): Leaves (harvested from late spring to fall) and the outer green husks (harvested in fall); no mordant required, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for leaves, use at least half the weight of nut husks to fibers
Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata): Thompson Dye, Green: Leaves and twigs used as a green dye.
Western Yarrow (Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis): Great Basin Indian Dye, Green: Leaves used to make a green dye. Fresh harvested plants give yellow and green shades; iron mordant produces olive-green colors.
Wild/Domestic carrot, Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota): Plant tops from wild carrots harvested from spring to summer, from domestic carrots all year; mordant recommended, use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for strong colors
Willow (Salix sp.): Leafy stems harvested from early spring to late fall, bark harvested all year; for leafy stems as dyestuff on animal fibers no mordant necessary, but alum mordant required for vegetable fibers; bark needs no mordant, but alum mordant produces brighter colors; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Woad, Dyer's woad (Isatis tinctoria): Leaves (harvested from Midsummer to mid-fall) and seeds (harvested from summer to fall); no mordant needed for blues and tans from leaves; alum mordant gives soft green from seeds; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Achiote Tree (Bixa orellana): Annatto (Achiote powder) has been traditionally used as both a coloring and flavoring agent in various cuisines from Latin America, the Caribbean, the Philippines, and other countries.
Birch (Betula sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to early fall), bark (harvested all year; Leaves: use a mordant, use equal weights of dyestaff and fibers; Bark: no mordant necessary, use equal weights of dyestaff and fibers.
Lady's bedstraw, Yellow bedstraw (Galium verum): Roots harvested in late fall after at least two years' growth; mordant recommended, use four times the weight of dyestuff to fibers for reds, less for tan and coral shades
Plum (Prunus sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to early fall) and bark (harvested all year); mordant is needed for leaves as dyestuff for vegetable fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers; no mordant is necessary for bark, use half the weight of dyestuff to fibers for strong colors from bark
Betony (Stachys officinalis): Fresh plants with alum mordant give chartreuse.
Broom (Cytisus scoparius): Plant tops with alum mordant give alum green-yellow colors.
Dyer’s Greenweed, Woadwaxen (Genista tinctoria): Plant tops, harvested throughout the growing season; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium): Fresh leaves and stems with chrome mordant give greenish-yellow shades.
Goldenrod (Solidago sp.): Plant tops and flowers harvested from early summer to early fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Fresh flowers and leaves with alum mordant give yellow-green colors.
Stinging Nettle (Uritca dioica): The whole fresh plant with alum mordant produces yellowish-green colors.
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare): Fresh young leaves with alum mordant give yellowish-green shades.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): Plant tops, harvested from spring to fall, alum and copper mordants recommended for animal and vegetable fibers, use equal weights of dyestauff and fibers.
Agnus Castus (Vitex agnus-castus): A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves, the seed and the roots.
American Elder (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis): Cahuilla Dye, Yellow: Stems used to make a yellow dye.
American Plum (Prunus americana): Chippewa Dye, Yellow: Single handful of shredded roots boiled with bloodroot to make a dark yellow dye.
Ash (Fraxinus sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to early fall) and bark (harvested all year); no mordant necessary for wool but recommended for other fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and bark
Aztec Marigold (Tagetes erecta): Cherokee Dye, Yellow: Flowers used to make a yellow dye. More info...>
Barberry (Berberis vulgaris, B. thunbergii): Inner bark, fresh or dried; no mordant necessary, use half the weight of dyestuff to fibers, more for deep shades. Tin mordant fixes yellow color.
Bay (Laurus nobilis): Leaves produce yellow colors on animal fibers.
Beard Lichen (Usnea sp.): Makah Dye, Yellow: Used as a source of yellow dye.
Birch (Betula sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to early fall), bark (harvested all year; Leaves: use a mordant, use equal weights of dyestaff and fibers; Bark: no mordant necessary, use equal weights of dyestaff and fibers.
Black Cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa): Missouri River Indian Dye, Yellow: Buds used to make a yellow dye.
Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta): Potawatomi Dye, Yellow: Disk florets boiled with rushes to dye them yellow. Rushes used to make woven mats.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis): Chippewa Dye, Yellow: Double handful of shredded roots boiled with wild plum roots to make a dark yellow dye. Green or dried roots pounded and steeped to make a dark yellow dye. Ojibwa Dye, Yellow: Fresh or dried roots used as a dark yellow dye to paint faces with clan marks. The roots were used in four or five combinations in dyeing various materials.
Broom (Cytisus scoparius): (fresh flowers) – mordant: chrome – deep yellow, mordant: alum – bright yellow
Broomsedge Bluestem (Andropogon virginicus): Cherokee Dye, Yellow: Stems, alone or with onion peels, used to make a yellow dye.
Broom Snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae): Navajo Dye, Yellow: Tops used to make a yellow dye.
Brown Knapweed (Centaurea jacea): More info...>
Buckthorn (Rhamnus sp.): Bark (harvested all year) and berries (mature or immature, harvested from early summer to fall); for bark no mordant required, berries need mordant; use half the weight of dyestuff to fibers for bark and berries
Butternut Tree (Juglans cinerea): Butternut bark and nut rinds were once used to dye cloth to colors between light yellow and dark brown. The husks contain a natural yellow-orange dye. To produce the darker colors, the bark is boiled to concentrate the color.
Canaigre Dock (Rumex hymenosepalus): Navajo Dye, Yellow: Dried, ground roots used as a yellow dye. The roots were sometimes dried and stored indefinitely. When ready for use, the dried roots were ground. By this aging process, various shades were obtained, from a greyed yellow to a dull red. Several handfuls of the fresh roots boiled in water yield a lemon yellow, and when more of the root was used and boiled longer, a soft orange or orange brown was obtained. If the mixture was boiled in an iron vessel, the reaction formed a red brown or mahogany dye. When mixed with indigo, a green dye was produced. Fresh, crushed roots mixed with alum, made into soft paste and rubbed into wool as a gold dye. Pima Dye, Yellow: Dry roots crushed, placed in water and used as a yellow dye for basket making.
Cascade Oregongrape (Mahonia nervosa): Makah Dye, Yellow: Roots or possibly the leaves used for yellow dye. Nitinaht Dye, Yellow: Bark scrapings steeped and used as a yellow dye. Thompson Dye, Yellow: Root bark boiled to make a bright yellow dye used for basket materials.
Colorado Rubberweed (Hymenoxys richardsonii var. floribunda): Navajo Dye, Yellow: Flowers used as a yellow dye for wool.
Common Cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum): Karok Dye, Yellow: Roots used as a yellow dye for porcupine quills.
Common Yellow Oxalis (Oxalis stricta): Menominee Dye, Yellow: Boiled whole plant used as a yellow dye.
Coreopsis, Tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora, C. lanceolata, C. tinctoria, C. verticillata): Flowers and plant tops, harvested from Midsummer to late fall; mordant recommended, use equal lweights of dyestuff and fibers for both flowers and plant tops
Creeping Woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata): Menominee Dye, Yellow: Boiled whole plant used as a yellow dye. It is nearly fluorescent yellow, and quite colorfast on alum mordanted wool. If the oxalis flowers are fermented or if a small dash of cloudy ammonia is added to the dye bath (made alkaline) the fluorescent yellow becomes fluorescent orange.
Crested Pricklypoppy (Argemone polyanthemos): Lakota Dye, Yellow: Used as a yellow dye for arrows.
Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea): Yellow dyes obtained from stems and leaves.
Cultivated Apple (Malus pumila): Cherokee Dye, Yellow: Bark used to make a yellow dye. Navajo Dye, Red-Yellow: Bark used to make a red yellow dye.
Curly Dock (Rumex crispus): Leaves harvested from early summer to early fall, roots harvested all year; no mordant necessary for animal fibers, but alum mordant required for vegetable fibers; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers. Cheyenne Dye, Yellow: Leaves and stems boiled and used as a yellow dye. Choctaw Dye, Yellow: Pounded, dry roots boiled and used as a yellow dye. Pima Dye, Yellow: Roots pounded, boiled and used to make a yellow dye.
Daffodil (Narcissus sp.): Flowers harvested from early to late spring; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Dahlia (Dahlia sp.): Flowers, leaves and stems, harvested fom late summer to mid-fall; mordant recommended for flowers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for strong colors from all parts
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Flowers and leaves harvested from spring to fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers; dyes tend to produce brighter colors on animal fibers
Desert Palafox (Palafoxia arida): Cahuilla Dye, Yellow: Used as a yellow dye.
Durango Root (Datisca glomerata): Costanoan Dye, Yellow: Roots used as a yellow dye. Karok Dye, Yellow: Roots used as a yellow dye. Wintoon Dye, Yellow: Used as a yellow dye.
Dyer's chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria): Flowers, leaves and stalks, harvested throughout the growing season; mordant recommended, use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers, more dyestuff for strong colors. More info...>
Dyer's croton, Fusticwood (Chrozophora tinctoria): Fusticwood produces a variety of yellows. Fustic is an excellent dye for over-dyeing, as it produces good greens with woad and a good black with logwood and iron.
Dyer’s Greenweed, Woadwaxen (Genista tinctoria): Plant tops, harvested throughout the growing season; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Dyer’s mulberry (Maclura tinctoria): Heartwood (wood chips), no mordant needed but use of a mordant will increase the colorfastness of the dye; use at least half the weight of dyestuff to fibers
Dyer’s Saw-wort (Serratula tinctoria): The leaves are the source of a durable yellow dye. More info...>
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides): Missouri River Indian Dye, Yellow: Buds used to make a yellow dye. Dakota Dye, Yellow: Seed vessels boiled to make a yellow dye for pluming arrow feathers. Waxy leaf buds boiled to make a yellow dye. Omaha Dye, Yellow: Leaf buds used to make a yellow dye. Seed vessels boiled to make a yellow dye for pluming arrow feathers. Pawnee Dye, Yellow: Seed vessels boiled to make a yellow dye for pluming arrow feathers. Waxy leaf buds boiled to make a yellow dye. Ponca Dye, Yellow: Seed vessels boiled to make a yellow dye for pluming arrow feathers.
Elder, Elderberry (Sambucus sp.): Leaves harvested from late spring to early fall, bark harvested all year, bedrries harvested in fall; bark needs no mordant, leaves with alum mordant give brighter colors, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Elecampane (Inula helenium): Yellow dye for animal fibers obtained from the plant.
Elm (Ulmus sp.): Bark harvested all year, leaves harvested from late spring to fall; no mordant required for bark, for leaves alum mordant is recommended; use at least equal weights of dyestuff an fibers
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum): Yellow dyes obtained from plant seeds.
Four O'clock (Mirabilis sp.): Navajo Dye, Yellow: Petals boiled for about fifteen minutes and used as a muddy yellow dye.
Fourwing Saltbush (Atriplex canescens): Navajo, Ramah Dye, Yellow: Leaves and twigs used in coloring wool yellow.
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea): Leaves produce a yellow dye for animal fibers..
Fremont's Mahonia (Mahonia fremontii): Havasupai Dye, Yellow: Roots used as a yellow buckskin dye. Hualapai Dye, Yellow: Roots used to make a brilliant yellow dye. Navajo Dye, Yellow: Roots and bark used as a yellow dye for buckskin. Walapai Dye, Yellow: Roots used as a yellow basket dye.
French marigold, African marigold (Tagetes sp.): Plant tops harvested in fall, flowers harvested from early summer to late fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Garden Onion (Allium cepa): Yellow skin (fresh or dried) with alum mordant gives yellow, with chrome mordant gold; no mordant necessary, but a mordant or an iron or copper modifier improves colorfastness and extends the range, use half the weight of fibers to dyestuff. Iroquois Dye, Yellow: Bulb peelings used as a yellow dye for wool.
Garrett's Saltbush (Atriplex garrettii): Great Basin Indian Dye, Yellow: Whole plant used to make a yellow dye and set with bitter alum.
German Camomile (Matricaria recutita): Yellow to gold dyes are obtained from the flowers.
Giantreed (Arundo donax): Papago Dye, Yellow: Pollen used as a yellow dye.
Goldenrod (Solidago sp.): Plant tops and flowers harvested from early summer to early fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers. More info...>
Gorse (Ulex europaeus): The plant produces beautiful yellows.
Grassy Rockgoldenrod (Petradoria pumila): Navajo Dye, Yellow: Flowering tops mixed with wild rhubarb and used as a yellow dye.
Green Rabbit Brush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus): Navajo Dye, Yellow: Flowers boiled with roasted alum and used as a yellow dye for leather, wool and basketry. Hopi Dye, Yellow: Blossoms used as a yellow dye for wools and cotton yarn.
Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.): Flowers (harvested in spring), berries, leaves and twigs (harvested in fall); use alum mordant for clear colorfast yellows from flowers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts
Heather (Calluna vulgaris): Flowers, plant tops, harvested mid- to late summer; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both flowers and plant tops
Hollyleaved Barberry (Mahonia aquifolium): Chehalis Dye, Yellow: Roots used to make a yellow dye. Makah Dye, Yellow: Roots or possibly the leaves used for yellow dye. Nitinaht Dye, Yellow: Bark scrapings steeped and used as a yellow dye. Okanagan-Colville Dye, Yellow: Stem and root inner bark used as bright yellow dye for basket materials, wool and porcupine quills. Salish, Coast Dye, Yellow: Root bark shredded, boiled and used as a yellow dye for basketry.Skagit Dye, Yellow: Roots used to make a yellow dye. Snohomish Dye, Yellow: Roots used to make a yellow dye. Thompson Dye, Yellow: Outer bark boiled to make a bright yellow dye used for basket materials. Yurok Dye, Yellow: Root used to dye porcupine quills yellow.
Hooker's Eveningprimrose (Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri): Pomo, Kashaya Dye, Yellow: YFlowers chewed with gum to make gum yellow.
Howard's Rabbitbrush (Ericameria parryi): Hopi Dye, Yellow: Yellow flowers used to make a yellow dye.
Indian Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum): Yellow dyes for animal fibers obtained from flowers.
Ivy (Hedera helix): Leaves (harvested all year) and berries (harvested from winter to spring); mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leaves and berries, dyes from ivy are more suitable for animal fibers
Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis): Menominee Dye, Orange-Yellow: Whole plant used to make an orange yellow dye. Ojibwa Dye, Yellow: Whole plant used to make a yellow dye, the material boiled in the mixture with rusty nails. Potawatomi Dye, Yellow: Material placed in pot of boiling plant juice to dye it yellow.
Juniper (Juniperus communis): Leafy shoots (harvested all year) and berries (harvested from summer to fall); mordant recommended for vegetable fibers, but not necessary for animal fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for both leafy shoots and berries
Large Leatherroot (Hoita macrostachya): Cahuilla Dye, Yellow: Roots boiled with basket weeds as a yellow dye. Luiseno Dye, Yellow: Roots boiled to make a yellow dye.
Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis): Yellow dye obtained from leaves harvested in autumn.
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana): Mahuna Dye, Yellow: Bark blended with other oak barks and roots and used to make a yellow dye for buckskins.
Liverwort (Bazzania trilobata): Montana Indian Dye, Yellow: Used as a yellow dye.
Mahonia (Mahonia sp.): Leaves (harvested all year) and berries (harvested from late summer to early winter); no mordant necessary but alum mordant improves colorfastness, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris): Yellow colors for animal fibers are obtained from the flowers.
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria): Yellow colors for animal fibers are obtained from the plant.
Mountain Alder (Alnus incana): Algonquin, Tete-de-Boule Dye, Yellow: Inner bark used to make yellow dye. Chippewa Dye, Yellow: Inner bark pounded, steeped and boiled to make a yellow dye. Cree, Woodlands Dye, Yellow: Decoction of catkins used as a yellow dye for quills. Ojibwa Dye, Yellow: Inner bark used for dyeing light yellow or with other ingredients for red, red brown or black.
Mountain Woodsorrel (Oxalis montana): Menominee Dye, Yellow: Boiled whole plant used as a yellow dye.
Mullein (Verbascum densiflorum): Yellow dye obtained from flowers.
Nettle (Urtica dioica): Plant tops harvested from spring to fall; use of a mordant is recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Oneseed Juniper (Juniperus monosperma): Great Basin Indian Dye, Yellow: Whole plant used to make a yellow dye.
Oregongrape (Mahonia repens): Blackfoot Dye, Yellow: Roots used to make a yellow dye. Karok Dye, Yellow: Root used to dye porcupine quills yellow. Montana Indian Dye, Yellow: Bark shredded, boiled and used as a brilliant yellow dye. Nitinaht Dye, Yellow: Formerly used to make yellow basket dyes. Wintoon Dye, Yellow: Used to make a yellow dye
Osage Orange, Bois d’arc (Maclura pomifera): Heartwood (wood chips, shavings or extract), harvested all year; mordant recommended, use at least half the weight of the fibers to be dyed for chips and shavings, use a quarter of the weight of fibers to be dyed for extract. Kiowa Dye, Yellow: Outer portion of the roots yielded a yellow dye.
Owlsclaws (Hymenoxys hoopesii): Navajo Dye, Yellow: Crushed flowers boiled with juniper ash and used as a yellow dye for wool.
Paint Brush (Castilleja sp.):Blackfoot Dye, Yellow: Flowers used as a yellow dye for arrow feathers.
Peach (Prunus persica): Navajo Dye, Yellow: Leaves used as a yellow dye.
Pennsylvania Buttercup (Ranunculus pensylvanicus): Potawatomi Dye, Yellow: Entire plant boiled with rushes or flags to dye them yellow; used to make mats or baskets.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum): Outer skins or whole fruits; no mordant required, use at least half the weight of dyestuff to fibers, using an iron modifier will give greeny-brown shades
Pot marigold (Calendula vulgaris): Flowers, harvested from summer to fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Prairie Thermopsis (Thermopsis rhombifolia): Blackfoot Dye, Yellow: Yellow petals rubbed on arrow shafts for coloring.
Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea): A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers when alum is used as a mordant
Red Barberry (Berberis haematocarpa): Apache, Mescalero Dye, Yellow: Root shavings used to make a yellow dye for hides.
Redosier Dogwood (Cornus sericea): Chippewa Dye, Yellow: Used with bloodroot and wild plum to make a yellow dye.
Rhubarb (Rheum sp.): Leaves (harvested from late spring to summer) and roots harvested all year; no mordant required, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for leaves, use half the weight for roots
Rocky Mountain Zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora): Keres, Western Dye, Yellow: Flowers, ground with white clay or mixed with warm water, used as yellow dye for wool.
Rudbeckia, Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan: Flowers, leaves and stems harvested from summer to fall; mordant recommended, use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa): Hopi Dye, Yellow: Yellow flowers used to make a yellow dye. Apache, White Mountain Dye, Yellow: Blossoms used as a yellow dye. Navajo, Ramah Dye, Yellow: Flowers and buds boiled overnight (or with heated alum) and used as a yellow dye for basket material and wool. Tewa Dye, Yellow: Flowers boiled to make a yellow dye for woolen yarn. Zuni Dye, Yellow: Blossoms used to make a yellow dye.
Rue (Ruta graveolens): Plant produces yellow dyes for wool fibers.
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius): Flowers, harvested in late summer; no mordant needed for pinks and reds, but alum mordant improves the fastness of yellows; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers. Hopi Dye, Yellow: Flowers used to color bread yellow for certain dances. More info...>
Sage (Artemisia sp.): Navajo Dye, Yellow: Leaves used to make a soft yellow dye. Alum mordant or chrome mordant improves the color.
Salal (Gaultheria shallon): Nitinaht Dye, Yellow: Infusion of leaves used as a greenish-yellow dye.
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum): Flowers (harvested in Midsummer) and plant tops (harvested from summer to fall); mordant recommended for plant tops (alum gives medium yellow, chrome gives bright yellow) , use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for all plant parts
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra): Chippewa Dye, Yellow: Inner bark, bloodroot and wild plum inner bark used to make a yellow dye. Stalk pulp used to make a light yellow dye. Meskwaki Dye, Yellow: Root used to dye rush mats and woven bark mats yellow. Omaha Dye, Yellow: Inner bark used to make a yellow dye. Roots used to make a yellow dye. Plains Indian Dye, Yellow: Leaves, bark and roots used to make a yellow-tan dye.
Speckled Alder (Alnus incana ssp. rugosa): Cree, Woodlands Dye, Yellow: Decoction of catkins used as a yellow dye for quills.
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea): The whole plant produces light yellow colors on animal fibers.
Spineless Horsebrush (Tetradymia canescens): Navajo, Ramah Dye, Yellow: Flowers with two other plants used as a yellow dye for wool.
Spindle Tree (Euonymus europaeus): Plant seeds used as a yellow dye for wool fibers.
Spiny Phlox (Phlox hoodii): Blackfoot Dye, Yellow: Plant used to make a yellow dye.
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina): Leaves harvested in summer, bark harvested all year; no mordant needed, alum mordant with bark gives vivid orange on animal fibers, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for strong colors from leaves and bark. Menominee Dye, Yellow: Roots boiled for yellow dye.
Sweetgale (Myrica gale): Ojibwa Dye, Yellow: Seeds boiled to obtain a yellow dye.
Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum): Yellow dyes for animal fibers can be obtained from the fruit.
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare): Plant tops and flowers harvested from summer to fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers. More info...>
Thinleaf Alder (Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia): Cree, Woodlands Dye, Yellow: Decoction of catkins used as a yellow dye for quills.
Threeleaf Goldthread (Coptis trifolia): Chippewa Dye, Yellow: Long, slender roots used to make a bright yellow dye. Ojibwa Dye, Yellow: Golden-colored roots added to other plant dyes to emphasize the yellow color. Potawatomi Dye, Yellow: Roots cooked with the cloth to dye an indelible yellow.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa): Roots; no mordant necessary, use half the weight of dyestaff to fibers; an iron modifier gives olive green shades, an alkaline modifier gives reddish-orange tones
Veiny Dock (Rumex venosus): Cheyenne Dye, Yellow: Roots and dried leaves boiled and used as a yellow dye.
Walnut (Juglans regia): Leaves (harvested from late spring to fall) and the outer green husks (harvested in fall); no mordant required, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for leaves, use at least half the weight of nut husks to fibers
Weld, Dyer's rocket (Reseda luteola): Plant tops harvested in summer; alum or copper mordant recommended, copper mordant produces the fastest shades; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers. More info...>
Wild/Domestic carrot, Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota): Plant tops from wild carrots harvested from spring to summer, from domestic carrots all year; mordant recommended, use at least equal weights of dyestuff and fibers for strong colors
Willow (Salix sp.): Leafy stems harvested from early spring to late fall, bark harvested all year; for leafy stems as dyestuff on animal fibers no mordant necessary, but alum mordant required for vegetable fibers; bark needs no mordant, but alum mordant produces brighter colors; use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Wolf Lichen (Letharia vulpina): Blackfoot Dye, Yellow: Plant pieces used as a yellow dye for porcupine quills. Cheyenne Dye, Yellow: Boiled in water and used as a yellow dye for porcupine quills. Montana Indian Dye, Yellow: Used for making clothing, bedding, yellow dye and yellow paint. Oweekeno Dye, Yellow: Thalli used to make a yellow dye. Thompson Dye, Yellow: Used to make a bright yellow dye.
Woolly Paperflower (Psilostrophe tagetina): Apache, White Mountain Dye, Yellow: Blossoms used to make a yellow dye. Keres, Western Dye, Yellow: Boiled, crushed flowers used for yellow paint or dye. Zuni Dye, Yellow: Blossoms used to make a yellow dye.
Yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima): The plant's yellow roots were used to produce a yellow dye by Native Americans.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): Plant tops, harvested from spring to fall, alum and copper mordants recommended for animal and vegetable fibers, use equal weights of dyestauff and fibers. More info...>
Yellow cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus): Flowers, harvested from summer to fall; mordant recommended, use equal weights of dyestuff and fibers
Yellow Ironweed (Verbesina alternifolia): Keres, Western Dye, Yellow: Petals mixed with white clay and used as a yellow dye for cotton.
Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris): A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers.
Yellow Owlclover (Orthocarpus luteus): Blackfoot Dye, Red: Leaves crushed and pressed firmly into skins, horsehair and feathers as a red dye. Great Basin Indian Dye, Yellow: Whole plant used to make a yellow dye.
Yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima): Cherokee Dye, Yellow: Entire plant crushed and used to make a yellow dye.

[sources: https://pioneerthinking.com/natural-dyes/; http://naeb.brit.org/; https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/dye-plants; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315675/; J. Dean: "Wild Color - The Complete Guide to Making and Using Natural Dyes"]