Dyers Coreopsis(Coreopsis tinctoria) is a particularly good choice for the dye garden, producing strong yellows and oranges. It is easy to grow too, flowering from July until the first autumn frosts with masses of cheerful blooms that are loved by bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.
šø Flowering: July to the first frostsĀ
š Height: 45-90cm
šæ AnnualĀ
š§ Drought tolerant once established
Sow: from March to mid-May in trays or small pots. Surface sow or cover the seed lightly. Pot up once the seedlings have two pairs of leaves and grow on.
Grow: plant out once they have a good root system, choosing a sunny position with well-drained soil. Deadhead regularly to keep the flowers coming. Better still, harvest the flowers for your dye pot and the plants will respond by producing more.
Enjoy: bright yellow flowers splashed with rich mahogany-red around their centres, and plenty of them. Grow Dyers Coreopsis in drifts and you get months of garden colour, plenty for the vase and a regular supply of flowers for experimenting with in the dye pot.
šØ Natural dye plant
The flowers produce strong yellows and oranges, with the final colour influenced by the dyeing method and pH.
Pick the flower heads when they are fully open. They can be used fresh or dried for later.Ā For a medium shade, use roughly the same weight of fresh flowers as the dry weight of fabric, or around half the fabric weight if using dried flowers. More flowers will give stronger colours.
For cotton, linen or hemp, prepare the fabric first with an aluminium lactate mordant or a soymilk binder.
Soak the flowers in water overnight, then bring to a gentle simmer for an hour. Allow to cool, strain and return the dye water to the pot. Add the prepared, pre-soaked fabric and simmer gently for another hour.
Here's where Dyers Coreopsis gets particularly interesting. Add a little vinegar or lemon juice to bring out yellower shades, while a small amount of soda ash can bring out the reds.
The dye bath can be used again for a paler shade.
The colours have good lightfastness and colourfastness.
š” In your garden
Cottage and informal gardens
Flower borders and beds
Gravel gardens
Prairie-style planting
Wildlife and pollinator plantings
Cutting gardens
Dyers gardens
āļø Cut flower
An excellent cut flower, bringing its bright yellows and rich mahogany markings indoors.
Fresh vase life of 7+ days.
š Pollinator friendly
The flowers are visited by bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects
RHS Plants for Pollinators recommended
š Traditional uses
Native American peoples traditionally used Coreopsis tinctoria for a variety of purposes, including as a dye plant.
š” Did you know?
Dyers Coreopsis can also be used for solar dyeing, using the warmth of the sun rather than simmering a dye bath
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