Natural Dye Color Chart: Which Plant Gives Which Color
Which plant gives which color? This natural dye color chart answers that in one table. It covers reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, purples, browns, greys and blacks, with the mordant and a starting rate in % WOF (weight of fiber) for each dye.
Use the chart as a map, not a promise. Your water, fiber and heat all change the result. Always dye a small test sample first.
How to read the chart
- Fiber / mordant tells you what the fiber needs before dyeing. Wool and silk use alum (see mordanting wool and silk). Cotton and linen need tannin, then alum (see mordanting cotton and linen).
- Rate is a starting range in % WOF. Use the low end for pale shades and the high end for deep ones. The WOF calculator turns it into grams.
- Iron in the chart means ferrous sulfate used as an afterbath. It "saddens" colors toward olive, purple, grey and black.
Natural dye color chart
| Color | Dye | Fiber and mordant | Rate (% WOF) | Typical result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Madder root powder | Wool/silk, alum | 50–100% | Brick to true red; add chalk, keep below 80 °C (176 °F) |
| Red | Madder extract | Cotton/linen, tannin + alum | 3–10% | Rust-red to red |
| Pink | Madder (light bath or exhaust) | Wool/silk, alum | 10–25% root | Salmon to rose pink |
| Pink | Safflower (red extraction) | Cotton/silk, no mordant | 100–200% petals | Bright pink to cherry; low lightfastness |
| Orange | Onion skins | Wool/cotton, alum | 30–100% | Gold to copper and rust |
| Orange | Madder over weld or buckthorn | Any, alum | See each dye | Clear orange to burnt orange |
| Yellow | Weld powder / extract | Any, alum | 25–100% powder; 0.25–3% extract | Clear lemon yellow; most lightfast natural yellow |
| Yellow | Buckthorn seed powder / extract | Any, alum | 10–30% powder; 4–10% extract | Warm golden yellow |
| Yellow | Pomegranate peel | Any, alum (contains tannin) | 20–30% | Green-gold to mustard |
| Yellow | Safflower (yellow extraction) | Any, alum | 100% petals | Soft yellow |
| Green | Weld or buckthorn over indigo | Any | See each dye | Spring green to deep green |
| Green | Pomegranate or onion + iron | Any | Iron 0.25–1% | Olive and moss |
| Blue | Indigo | Any, no mordant | 2 g/L light; 3–5 g/L medium; 7–10 g/L dark | Sky blue to navy |
| Purple | Madder + iron afterbath | Any, alum | Iron 0.25–1% | Mauve to plum |
| Purple | Madder over light indigo | Any | See each dye | Violet to aubergine |
| Brown | Black walnut hull | Any, no mordant needed | 10–100% | Beige to dark chocolate |
| Brown | Red pine bark extract | Any | 5–15% | Pink-tan to red-brown |
| Brown | Acorn tannin extract | Any | 5–15% | Beige to tan |
| Grey | Oak gall or sumac + iron | Any | Tannin 10–30%, iron 0.5–2% | Silver to charcoal |
| Black | Tannin + iron, repeated, often over indigo | Cotton/linen best | Iron 1–2% per dip, never above 4% (wool 1% max) | Charcoal to black |
Alum for all recipes: 10–15% WOF on wool and silk; 12–15% WOF after tannin on cotton and linen. Buy alum here.
Reds and pinks
Madder is the classic plant red. On alum-mordanted wool it gives brick red to true red. Hue changes with the mordant, the mordant concentration and the dyeing method (Manhita et al., 2011). Two simple rules help: add calcium carbonate at 1–6% WOF, and keep the bath below 80 °C (176 °F). Hotter baths turn madder brown, as explained in our madder troubleshooting guide.
For pinks, use less madder or dye in the exhaust bath. An alkaline rinse pushes madder toward raspberry. Safflower gives a different pink: bright, cool and best on cotton and silk without a mordant. It is not very lightfast, so use it for pieces that stay out of strong sun. Learn more in our madder guide and safflower recipe. Shop natural red dyes.
Oranges
Onion skins give gold, copper and rust on their own. Botanical Colors uses 30% WOF for light shades and up to 100% for the richest. For a clean orange, dye yellow first with weld or buckthorn, then overdye in a light madder bath. See dyeing with onion skins.
Yellows
- Weld gives a clear, cool lemon yellow. Its main colorant is luteolin, and it is known as the most lightfast natural yellow. A little chalk deepens it. See our weld recipes.
- Buckthorn (Rhamnus berries, also called Persian berries) gives a warmer golden yellow. See the buckthorn dye guide. Whole seeds are also available as buckthorn seeds.
- Pomegranate gives green-gold and mustard, and carries its own tannin. See the pomegranate dye guide.
Shop natural yellow dyes.
Greens
Natural greens almost always come from two colors. Dye blue in indigo, then overdye with a yellow. Light blue plus weld gives spring green. Dark blue plus buckthorn gives deep forest green. For olive and moss, add a weak iron afterbath, 0.25–1% WOF, to a yellow such as pomegranate or onion.
Blues
Indigo is the only blue on this chart. It needs no mordant but must be reduced in a vat. Use about 2 g/L for light blue, 3–5 g/L for medium and 7–10 g/L for dark. Keep the vat at pH 9–10 for wool and silk and 11–12 for cotton and linen. Fructose makes a simple natural vat. See the indigo vat guide and shop natural blue dyes.
Purples
Madder plus a small iron afterbath gives mauve and plum. Madder over light indigo gives violet and aubergine. Full methods are in madder purples and mauves. Shop natural purple dyes.
Browns
Walnut hulls give beige to dark chocolate without a mordant. Red pine bark gives warm pink-tan to red-brown. Acorn extract gives soft beige and tan. Madder plus walnut gives rich red-browns. See the black walnut dye guide and shop natural brown dyes.
Greys and blacks
Greys come from tannin plus iron. Oak galls and sumac give cool blue-greys. Pomegranate gives olive greys. More cycles move grey to charcoal and then black. A dark indigo base gives the most neutral black. Read the natural black dye guide and shop natural black and grey dyes.
Tips for predictable color
- Keep a notebook. Record fiber weight, % WOF, mordant, water and temperature.
- Dye small swatches of every fiber you use. Cotton is always paler than wool in the same bath.
- Use exhaust baths for paler shades of the same color.
- Start with the bundle dye kit or madder dye kit if you want pre-measured dyes.
Troubleshooting
- Colors are pale on cotton: the tannin or alum step was skipped or too weak. Mordant again.
- Madder is brown, not red: the bath was too hot or the water too soft. Keep it under 80 °C (176 °F) and add chalk.
- Yellows look dull: iron from a pot or a previous bath. Use separate pots for iron work.
- Green is patchy: the indigo base was uneven. Even out the blue before you overdye.
- Color faded fast: some dyes, like safflower, are less lightfast. Dry and store dyed pieces out of direct sun.
Frequently asked questions
Which natural dye gives the brightest red?
Madder on alum-mordanted wool gives the clearest red, especially with a little calcium carbonate in the bath and the temperature kept below 80 °C (176 °F).
How do I get green with natural dyes?
There is no reliable natural green dye. Dye blue with indigo first, then overdye with a yellow such as weld or buckthorn. For olive and moss, add a small iron afterbath to a yellow.
Why does the same dye look different on cotton and wool?
Wool and silk take up more dye than cotton and linen, so colors are deeper and brighter. Cellulose also needs a tannin and alum mordant, and the tannin can add a slight warm tint.
Can I mix dyes in one pot?
You can, but overdyeing in separate baths gives more control. Dye the lighter or weaker color first, check it, then overdye. Indigo is always a separate vat.
Are the colors on this chart exact?
No chart can be exact. Water, fiber, mordant, dye amount and heat all change the result. Treat the chart as a starting map and always dye a test sample first.
Sources and further reading
- Manhita, A. et al. (2011). Enlightening the influence of mordant, dyeing technique and photodegradation on the colour hue of textiles dyed with madder.
- CAMEO, Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Weld dye and Buckthorn berries.
- Botanical Colors. Safflower instructions.
- Wild Colours. Dyeing with weld.
Related: Everything to know about natural dyes · Mordants for natural dyeing · Natural dyes you can use to color your fabrics