I’ve always been intrigued by the human fascination with color. Why have human beings spent time and energy on making things whose sole purpose is to impart color — for little (apparently) practical reason? I’m not grateful for it, but it is still a bit of a mystery. Anyway, to business… Technically, a dye is a substance that works by binding chemically with the material to which it is imparting color. This differentiates dyes from pigments (covered in a separate section), although there are some substances that do both, depending on the way they’re used.
- Acacia (Acacia spp.)
- Alizarin (Madder, Rubia spp.)
- Anatto (Achiote tree, Bixa orellana)
- Apatite
- Berberine (Barberry, Berberis vulgaris)
- Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)
- Brazilin (Brazilwood, Caesalpinia echinata)
- Buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.)
- Catechu (Catechu, Senegalia catechu)
- Chica (Arrabidaea chica)
- Flame of the Forest tree (Butea monosperma)
- Galls (galls are abnormal growths on plants, that are a response to infection by insects, mites, or microbes)
- Gambier (Uncaria gambir)
- Henna (Henna tree, Lawsonia inermis)
- Hornbeam (Carpinus spp.)
- Iceland moss (Cetraria islandica)
- Indigo (true Indigo, Indigofera tinctoria)
- Kino (Eucalyptus, Barwood tree, Marri tree, Flame of the Forest tree). Kino is a resin with a distinctive chemical composition, found in several plants.
- Lac insect (Kerria lacca)
- Litmus (Archil, Roccella tinctoria)
- Logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum)
- Noni (Morinda citrifolia)
- Orcinol (Archil, Roccella tinctoria)
- Old fustic (Maclura tinctoria)
- Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum)
- Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)
- Saffron (Saffron crocus, Crocus sativus)
- Sorrel (a.k.a. tanner’s dock, Rumex hymenosepalus)
- Sumac (Rhus spp.)
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa). Used to make curcuma paper, an indicator paper (like litmus).
- Valonia oak (Quercus ithaburensis)
- Woad (Isatis tinctoria)