Coreopsis Tinctoria • 150 seeds • $5
Grow the flower that makes the color.
Dyer's Coreopsis is a cheerful, easy-to-grow annual with golden-yellow petals and striking burgundy-red centers. A prolific bloomer, it brings color to the garden while attracting bees and other pollinators.
Harvest the flowers throughout the growing season, using them fresh or dried to create beautiful natural dyes. On wool and other natural fibers, expect a palette ranging from golden yellow and pumpkin orange to warm rust and coral, depending on your dyeing method and modifiers.
Growing: Direct sow in spring after the danger of frost has passed. Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil and press seeds lightly into the surface. Keep the soil moist until germination. Harvest flowers regularly to encourage continued blooming.
Dye colors and intensity vary with the fiber, mordant, and dyeing process.