Common madder

Roots of the common madder are used to produce a red dye that is used for leather, wool, cotton and silk. This vegetable dye is sometimes called rose madder or Turkey red.

The plant lost its importance in the 19th century when the same dye was produced by synthetic processes, but is now still sometimes cultivated to produce natural dye.

Names

Scientific
   Rubia tinctorum
English
   Common madder
   Dyer’s madder
   Madder
Dutch
   Mede
   Mee
   Meekrap
Spanish
   Rubia de los tintoreros
French
   Garance
   Garance des teinturiers
   Rouge des teinturiers
German
   Echte Färberröte
   Färberkrapp
   Krapp

Taxonomy

Genus
   Rubia
Family
   Rubiaceae
Order
   Gentianales

Basic information and facts

Origin:

?

Distribution:

Europe, France, Mediterranean region.

Annual, biennial, or perennial:

Common madder is an evergreen perennial plant.

Flowers:

Small yellow flowers with 5 petals. Size of flowers is only 3 to 5 mm.

Leaves:

Leaves are 5 to 10 cm long and 2 to 3 cm broad.

Roots

The roots are over 1 meter long and about 12 mm in diameter. They are used to make a red dye for textiles.

Climate and weather:

Temperate climate

Pollination:

Height:

Common madder can be 1 to 1.5 meter tall.

Harvesting:

The roots are harvested.

Uses:

Roots are used to produce a red dye for textiles. This dye has also been used sometimes in paints. The plant has also been used for medicinal reasons.

Crop categories

Dye crops
Temperate crops
Medicinal plants

Pictures

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