Using Celandine as a Dyeplant?
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Martin Hazelbower
Posted on: May 7, 2000

I am looking for information on dyeing fibres with Chelidonium majus and would appreciate any help you can give me.

We checked ten books on natural dyeing and found no reference to using celandine (Chelidonium majus) as a dye.

Celandine has an intensely yellow juice which easily stains the skin and clothes. So I can see how one might think that this plant is a source of a natural dye. However, many colours in nature are not stable for long. Or, they may not fix well onto fibres – another reason why celandine may not be used as a dyeplant. Even if celandine’s colour is stable enough for dyeing, it may not be suitable for dyeing cloth for other reasons. For example, the yellow juice is quite acrid and could easily irritate the skin. In fact, the yellow juice is used as a remedy for warts, causing warts to dissolve over time.

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