Madder Root (Rubia tinctorum)

Madder (Rubia tinctorum) is a perennial plant traditionally grown as an important source of natural red dye. It has small green leaves arranged around its slender stems and tiny yellow flowers, with the valuable dye compounds concentrated in the roots. The roots are usually harvested from established plants in late summer or early autumn, making this an ideal seasonal dye material.

Madder root contains natural red and orange pigments that can produce a wide range of warm colours. When prepared as a dye bath, it can produce shades ranging from soft peach, coral and terracotta to rich brick red and deeper warm reds, depending on the age of the roots, the preparation method and the concentration of dye material used.

Madder contains very little tannin, so a mordant is usually needed to help the colour bond effectively to the fibres. Alum is commonly used and can produce clear, warm reds and oranges, while iron can deepen and mute the colour towards burgundy, brown and purple-brown shades. The temperature of the dye bath is also important, as very high temperatures can affect the final colour.

Madder is particularly effective on wool and silk, producing some of the strongest and most valued natural red shades. It can also be used on cotton and linen, although these fibres generally require careful preparation and mordanting to achieve good colour. As the dye is concentrated in the roots, harvesting is best carried out from mature plants, allowing younger plants to continue growing and developing their root systems.

Images show tests using silk, cotton, linen and wool samples.
Samples were tested with no mordant, alum mordant and iron mordants as well as using a soda ash modifier after dyeing