Everything to Know About Madder (Rubia tinctorum) Natural Dye

Madder (Rubia tinctorum) is one of the oldest and most important natural dyes in the world. Its roots give the reds of Anatolian carpets, the famous "Turkey red" of the 18th and 19th centuries, and a whole range of pinks, corals, oranges and purples. This guide covers what madder is, how it is grown and processed, how to dye with it and how to get different shades.

What is madder?

Madder is a perennial plant with whorled leaves and small yellow flowers. Its long red roots contain alizarin and purpurin, the compounds responsible for its color. Several species are used for dyeing:

• Rubia tinctorum (common or dyer's madder): the classic madder of Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus, and the one we sell.
• Rubia cordifolia (Indian madder or manjistha): traditional in India and East Asia.
• Rubia peregrina (wild madder): found around the Mediterranean.

A short history of madder

Madder-dyed textiles have been found in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, in India, and in Viking settlements in northern Europe. In Anatolia it has colored carpets and kilims for centuries. The best-known madder color is Turkey red (also called Edirne red), a brilliant, fast red on cotton produced by a long, secret process that used olive oil, ash, dung, tannins and alum. After synthetic alizarin was invented in the 1860s, madder almost disappeared from industry, but today it is again one of the most loved dyes among natural dyers.

How our madder is grown and processed

Our madder is grown in the Aegean region of Turkey and harvested by local growers in village communities who know where the plant grows best and when to harvest. The roots should be at least three years old for good color, and soil, sunlight and water all affect the final shade. After harvesting, the roots are washed and dried naturally, then ground in-house into madder root powder. We also offer a concentrated madder extract.

How to dye with madder

Madder needs a mordant. For the brightest reds, mordant wool and silk with alum, and cotton and linen with a tannin such as oak gall followed by alum. Always scour your fabric first.

With madder root powder

• Use 50–100% WOF (weight of fiber); 100 g of powder for 100 g of fiber gives strong reds.
• Cover the powder with hot water and hold the bath at 60–70 °C (140–160 °F) for an hour.
• Add the wet, mordanted fiber and keep the bath at 60–70 °C for another hour.
• Let everything cool in the bath, ideally overnight, stirring now and then.

Our step-by-step tutorial how to dye with madder root powder explains each stage in detail.

With madder extract

• Use 5–10% WOF of extract, depending on the depth of shade you want.
• Dissolve the extract in hot water and add it to a dye pot of warm water.
• Add the wet, mordanted fiber and heat gently for 30–60 minutes, then let it cool.

Read more in our madder extract guide, or learn how to make your own madder extract.

Temperature: the key to bright reds

Keep the madder bath below about 70 °C (160 °F). Higher temperatures release more yellow and brown compounds, so the reds turn dull and brick-like. Hard water, or a little calcium carbonate in soft water, helps madder give deeper, truer reds.

Getting different shades from madder

• Pinks and peaches: use less madder or the exhaust bath from an earlier dye.
• Oranges and yellows: dip the dyed fiber in a weak acid (citric acid or vinegar).
• Purples, plums and mauves: use an iron mordant or iron afterbath. See how to dye purples and mauves with madder.
• Deeper reds on cotton: use a tannin before alum, as in our madder dye kit.

Madder is pH sensitive: alkaline washing water can shift it toward pink, and acid toward orange, so wash naturally dyed items with a pH-neutral soap.

What dyers say

"I was totally blown away by the color I achieved. Super rich reds when used in conjunction with tannin and lovely salmon pinks when used with alum mordants alone." — Ceilidh, natural dyer in the south of France

Frequently asked questions

Is madder colorfast?

Yes. On properly mordanted fiber, madder has very good light and wash fastness, which is why it was used for carpets that last for generations.

Can I dye cotton with madder?

Yes. Prepare cotton with a tannin and alum first; madder extract gives the deepest shades on cotton.

Can I buy madder in bulk?

Yes. Madder root powder, cut root and extract are available wholesale in 1, 5 and 25 kg bags. See our wholesale page.

Related: Shop natural red dyes · Madder dye kit instructions · Alum mordant guide