NATIVE AMERICAN DYES
Only when documentation has been found are specific tribal names given
Alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench., Alnus rhombifolia, Alnus serrulata )
used by Menominee, Ojibwe, Potawatomi
reddish brown from bark

Birch
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
yellow, gold from leaves and stems; shades of green from flower heads

Black walnut

(all credit to original photographer)

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L.) (all credit to original photographer)
used by Menominee, Ojibwe, Potawatomi
red, orange red; also used to dye skin
Bur Oak


Juglans cinerea L (all credit to original photographer)
Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) used by Menominee, Ojibwe, Potawatomi
brown from nut husks, black from bark, deep black when bark is boiled with blue clay

Bristly Crowfoot (Ranunculus pennsylvanicus)
used by Potawatomi and Menominee
entire plant boiled for dye, red from roots
Cedar
Chokecherry
Cottonwood

Dyer's Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)
yellow, tan, gold, orange, brown from chopped plant
Goldenrod (Solidago spp)
Blue-stemmed goldenrod (S. caesia) gray goldenrod (S. nemoralis) early goldenrod (S. juncea) Canada goldenrod (S.
canadensis) showy goldenrod (S. speciosa)
dark gold to brown from flower heads; mustard, orange and brown dyes can be obtained from the whole plant

Goldthread (Coptis trifolia)
used by Potawatomi
yellow obtained by boiling the cloth with the roots

Hazelnut Corylus cornuta
bluish dye from roots (Thompson); seed hulls boiled with
butternut hulls to make black (Ojibwe)


Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.)
used by Ojibwe and Menominee
dark red from bark
(all credit to original photographer)
Hooked Crowfoot (Ranunculus recurvatus) used by Menominee
red from root and yellow can be produced; the Ojibwe used burr oak to set the color which was probably red, the Forest Potawatomi used the entire plant to produce a yellow dye


Jewelweed, Spotted Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens biflora)
used by Menominee and Potawatomi
orange or deep yellow using the entire plant

Labrador Tea (ledum groenlandicum Oeder) used by Potawatomi
brown
Lambsquarter (Chenopodium alba)
Liverleaf (Hepatica triloba)
used by Potawatomi
yellow from roots

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
The boiled inner bark yields a purple colour
dyes wool a golden tan
Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
used by Potawatomi
brownish-red from bark

Sorrels (Oxalidaceae)
used by Menominee and Ojibwe
yellow from whole plant

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
green, dark brownish red, browns from flowers only

Strawberry Blite, Strawberry Spinach (Chenopodium capitatum)
used by Potawatomi
used as a rouge on skin for clan marks, to heighten color in cheeks and lips

Sumac (Rhus typhina L.)
Used by Menominee and Ojibwe
yellow from roots

Yarrow (Achillia)
yellows and golds from leaves and flowers