What Flowering Plant Is Used as a Source of Indigo Dye?
Two plants were traditionally used in indigo production. The leaves of the woad, or Isatis tinctoria, and indigo, or Indigofera tinctoria, plants were used for thousands of years to create a rich dark blue dye. Does this Spark an idea?
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Identification
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Woad is a member of the mustard family. It grows from one foot to four feet tall and has bluish-green leaves and yellow flowers. Indigo, a member of the legume family, ranges between three and nine feet tall, with pink flowers and spreading branches.
History
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Woad was widely cultivated in Europe as a dye source. The Indigofera plant, which came from India, arrived on the European market during the late 15th century. Woad stayed popular in Europe for many years despite its drawbacks. Fermented woad leaves smelled so revolting that Queen Elizabeth I issued a royal decree banning all woad processing within a five-mile radius of her residence.
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Fun Fact
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Create woad dye by placing fresh woad leaves in a jar and covering the leaves with almost-boiling water; cap the jar tightly. When the liquid changes color and forms small bubbles, add alkali and shake until the solution turns green. Dyed fabric turns green and then changes to blue when it is exposed to air.
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