Pomegranate Dye Guide: Yellow, Khaki, Grey and Black from Peel

Pomegranate peel is two tools in one. It is a dye that gives soft yellows and khakis. It is also a strong tannin that helps cotton and linen take color, and turns grey, green and black with iron. Dyers in India, Central Asia and the Middle East have used it for centuries. This guide shows you how much pomegranate dye to use, how to shift the color with alum and iron, and how to use it as a tannin mordant.

What is pomegranate dye?

Pomegranate dye comes from the dried rind of the fruit of Punica granatum. Our pomegranate peel powder is finely ground, so there is no pounding or long soaking.

The peel is very high in tannins. A 2022 study in Molecules reports about 28% tannins, including punicalagin. Its breakdown products include gallic acid and ellagic acid. These tannins give the yellow color. They also react with iron to make dark grey and black.

• Alum mordant: green-yellow, golden yellow and soft khaki.
• Iron afterbath: moss green, olive, warm grey and, with more dye, black.
• Overdyed with indigo: deep greens.
• No mordant: pale yellow-fawn.

How much pomegranate peel powder to use

Use	Pomegranate peel powder (% WOF)	Start at
Light grey (with iron)	10–20%	15%
Medium yellow or khaki (dye)	20–30%	20%
Tannin mordant for cotton and linen	30%	30%
Deepest gold, dark grey or black	50–100%	50%

For 100 g of dry fiber at 20% WOF, use 20 g of powder. Our natural dye calculator does the math for any weight.

Before you start: scour and mordant

Scour your fiber first. See how to prepare fiber for natural dyeing.

Wool and silk

Mordant with alum at 10–15% WOF. Add cream of tartar at 6–7% WOF for wool. Full steps are in mordanting wool and silk.

Cotton and linen

Pomegranate is a classic choice here because it can be your tannin step. See the tannin recipe below, then mordant with alum at 12–15% WOF and soda ash at about 1.5–2% WOF. Our guide to mordanting cotton and linen has the full method.

Recipe 1: Yellow and khaki with alum

For 100 g of dry, mordanted fiber.

1. Make a paste. Mix 20–30 g of pomegranate peel powder with a little warm water.
2. Extract the color. Add the paste to a pot of water and simmer for 45–60 minutes.
3. Strain. Pour through a fine cloth. Skip this step if you want a mottled look on cotton.
4. Fill the dye pot. Add the liquid to 3–4 litres (about 1 US gallon) of water so the fiber can move freely.
5. Add the fiber. Add wet, mordanted fiber to the cool or warm bath.
6. Heat slowly. Raise the bath to about 80 °C (176 °F). Hold for 30–60 minutes and turn the fiber often.
7. Cool. Let the fiber cool in the bath for deeper color.
8. Rinse and wash. Rinse, then wash with a pH-neutral soap. Dry in the shade.

Tip: Pomegranate yellow on its own is soft and slightly green. For a brighter yellow, mix it with weld or another clear yellow. See our weld recipes.

Tip: The exhaust bath still holds tannin and color. Use it for paler yellows or as a light tannin bath.

Recipe 2: Greys, greens and black with iron

This is where pomegranate shines. Its high tannin content reacts with iron (ferrous sulfate) and turns yellow into moss green, olive, cement grey or black.

1. Dye your fiber with Recipe 1. Use 10–20% WOF for grey, 20–30% for green and olive, and 50–100% for very dark grey and black. Rinse.
2. Dissolve iron in hot water in a separate jar. Use 0.25–1% WOF. Start at 0.5%.
3. Add the iron solution to a pot of warm water and stir well.
4. Add the wet fiber and keep it moving. The color changes within minutes.
5. Lift it out when you like the shade. Rinse well and wash.

• Moss green: a tiny amount of iron (about 0.25% WOF) on a strong yellow.
• Grey: 0.5–1% WOF iron on a light to medium pomegranate base.
• Black (cotton and linen): 50–100% WOF pomegranate, then iron at 1–2% WOF. Repeat dye and iron layers for the deepest black. More in our natural black dye guide.

Tip: On wool and silk, keep iron at 1% WOF or less. Too much iron makes protein fibers harsh. On cotton and linen you can go up to 2% WOF. Read our iron mordant guide for more.

Iron also helps fastness. In the 2022 Molecules study on cotton, iron-mordanted pomegranate yarns had the best light fastness. Alum gave the lowest light fastness of the mordants tested.

Recipe 3: Pomegranate as a tannin mordant for cotton and linen

Cotton and linen have no natural sites for alum to hold on to. Tannin creates those sites. Pomegranate works well as a tannin, especially under yellows and greens, because its own color is yellow.

1. Simmer pomegranate peel powder at 30% WOF in water for 45–60 minutes.
2. Strain into a pot with enough warm water to cover the fabric.
3. Add the wet, scoured fabric. Soak for at least 1 hour, or overnight for better uptake.
4. Squeeze out the fabric without rinsing.
5. Mordant in alum at 12–15% WOF with soda ash at 1.5–2% WOF.
6. Rinse, then dye with any mordant dye, such as madder or weld.

Tip: Pomegranate tannin adds a yellow cast. It is great under yellows, greens and warm reds. For the clearest pinks and reds, use white oak gall powder instead. Compare options in our tannin guide.

A simple shortcut: our cellulose mordant kit has what you need to prepare cotton and linen.

Wool, silk, cotton and linen: what to expect

Cotton and linen are the classic fibers for pomegranate. They take the tannin very well and give strong khakis, greens, greys and blacks.

Wool gives warm golden yellows and soft olive greens. Silk gives a lighter, glowing green-gold. On both, keep iron low and the bath below a simmer.

Pomegranate-dyed cotton may also have a bonus. A 2011 study found that cotton dyed with pomegranate rind extract showed good antibacterial activity in lab tests, along with good wash and light fastness. The effect dropped after repeated washing.

Troubleshooting

• Yellow is dull or brownish. The bath was too hot, or the pot held traces of iron. Keep at about 80 °C (176 °F) and use an iron-free pot.
• Grey is patchy or streaky. The iron was not fully dissolved or the fiber did not move. Dissolve iron in hot water first and stir constantly.
• Black came out dark grey. Use more pomegranate (50–100% WOF) and add a second dye and iron layer. More iron alone will not make it much darker.
• Cotton is pale. Use pomegranate as a tannin step first, then alum, then dye again.
• Wool feels rough. Too much iron. Stay at or below 1% WOF.
• Specks on fabric. Strain the bath through fine cloth before you add the fiber.

Frequently asked questions

What color does pomegranate dye make?

With alum, pomegranate gives green-yellow, golden yellow and khaki. With iron it gives moss green, olive, grey and, with a lot of dye, black. Overdyed with indigo, it gives deep green.

How much pomegranate peel powder do I need?

Use 20–30% WOF for a medium yellow or khaki. Start at 20%, which is 20 g for 100 g of dry fiber. Use 50–100% WOF for the darkest greys and blacks with iron.

Can I use pomegranate as a mordant?

Yes, as a tannin step for cotton and linen. Soak the fabric in a 30% WOF pomegranate bath for at least an hour, then mordant with alum. Pomegranate is not a metal mordant, so you still need alum for most dyes.

Does pomegranate dye need a mordant?

It gives a pale yellow-fawn without one, because of its tannins. For stronger, longer-lasting color, use alum on wool and silk, and tannin plus alum on cotton and linen.

How do I get black with pomegranate?

Dye cotton or linen with 50–100% WOF pomegranate, then dip in an iron afterbath at 1–2% WOF. Repeat the dye and iron layers until the color is as dark as you want.

Sources and further reading

• Botanical Colors: Pomegranate peel instructions (20% WOF dye, 30% WOF tannin)
• Maiwa: Pomegranate (powder 15–20% WOF)
• Wild Colours: Pomegranate
• Botteri, Miljković & Glogar (2022), Influence of Cotton Pre-Treatment on Dyeing with Onion and Pomegranate Peel Extracts, Molecules 27(14):4547
• Rajendran et al. (2011), Dyeability and Antimicrobial Properties of Cotton Fabrics Finished with Punica Granatum Extracts, JTATM 7(2)

Related: Aleppo oak galls tannin guide · Mordanting cotton and linen · Natural tannins · Natural black and grey dyes