Natural Dye Plants

We use a variety of cultivated annual, perennial, and native plants as well as foraged plants. If you have questions about our process or the plants, email us at libby@northerndyer.com. 

Woad (isatis Tinctoria)                                          Marigold (Tagetes patula)                                       

Woad is an indigo variety that is native to the European continent. You can find it growing as a "weed" in ditches and along roadsides in the UK, and it was traditionally cultivated as an aqua/blue color by the Celts and Vikings for blue hues.  We grow and use Woad because we operate out of the northern Midwest in the United States of America, where winters are chilly, and our summers our short, so Woad grows well for us.  Whereas the Indigo,  Indigofera tinctoria, is more commonly used and more potent, but impossible for us to grow in our region. 

Plant printing with Pansy’s this late in the season is pretty surprising to me since usually they are more of a Spring plant, but somehow despite the extreme drought in Minnesota this year, my Pansy’s are still blooming along with the sma
Japanese indigo season is here in Minnesota. 💙Japanese indigo - persicaria tinctoria - is a deep shade of blue harvested from the leaves of the plant throughout the growing season. Pictured here is the technique called hapazome which is the effect o
Grow your own natural dye garden 💙🌿🪴👉link in profile to try one of my kits.
I’m started to get v excited about summer adventures, and I’m especially looking forward to finally teaching a natural dye workshop again after over a year and a half. 🪴 Join me for a weekend-long retreat @wildriceretreat in Bayfield, W
Yes, I do have natural dye seeds this spring - at last. Tho I’m out of Japanese indigo seeds until my current plants go to seed! Woad seeds are lovely this time of year especially because you don’t have to transplant them - you can just d
My silk scarf bundle dye kits are finally back on Etsy after five months — these are fun if you want to try natural dye bundle dyeing (basically just sprinkling dried dye plants on a scarf and simmering them)! 🌿🌿🌿
After four months of transition - buying a new house and selling the duplex my partner and I have lived in for seven years, I’m feeling more grounded, and finished this natural dye palette embroidery project I started this autumn highlighting s
Today is the Art Storm to call on @potus and @kamalaharris to #StopLine3 in Northern Minnesota. 💧 The proposed pipeline will cross the Mississippi and 200 bodies of water and it violates treaties. Biden revoked federal permits for the Keystone XL p