Red Alder (formerly known as woodland trash)
Why, you ask, would a fabric dyer care about that plain old weed, Red Alder?
Because it's awesome! Abundance, beauty, and all sorts of useful parts. Nearly every part is full of tannins that cling right into fibers and you'd be surprised at the variety of colors this one tree can make.
Supima cotton interlock hand-dyed with alder bark.
Baby pants with alder catkin knee pads, waistband, and ankle cuffs.
I first used male catkins to make greens, cones (yeah, I know these are actually female catkins) to make smooth tans and light gray, and the bark gives a caramel type color with a warm orange quality. According to Jenny Dean, author of Wild Color (among many other books), some of the earliest dye resources, including a 16th-century Italian text, called for alder bark and iron to create black shades.
If you grow Douglas Fir or Cedar for profit, you might still think Red Alder is a weed. I know I did when I first got into managing timberland. The wood is not suitable for structural applications, it looks rather lifeless in winter when it loses its leaves, and they can suffocate anything you might be trying to grow where they get hold. These are not great things, but alder has plenty of redeeming qualities:
Restoring nitrogen to the soil and preparing the ground to eventually grow other things
Making lovely furniture, veneer, cabinetry, and even turned bowls
Using in the smoker or woodstove
Growing quickly and thriving after dramatic events (fire, flood, etc.)
Providing wildlife with room and board
Stocking gourmet mushroom growers with plenty of logs, woodchips, and sawdust for substrate
AND if it’s late February and you’re starving in the woods, alder catkins just might save your life.
If you manage woodlands or acreage of any kind, check out the WSU extension's tree profile for Red Alder. See, it’s not just me.
Alder Cone Gray with snakeskin (honeycomb) pattern.
If you’d like to know more about dyeing with alder parts:
Rebecca Desnos’s blog shares her experience with alder cones. She has some great resources available that showcase the joy of dyeing with natural materials.
Stravaigin Yarn Co. has a beautiful post about dyeing with alder cones. This is also where I first learned about Oregon Grape Root as a dye.
For a short bit on dyeing with alder bark you can visit the Ruby Slippers blog.
If your looking to purchase alder materials for dyeing, check out our art supplies section.
Have fun!