Calendula Marigold Dye

Description

Calendula, also known as pot marigold, yields a soft and glowing yellow dye extracted from its golden-orange flower heads. Beloved for its cheerful tones and gentle hue, Calendula officinalis produces buttery yellows, honey golds, and warm straw tones, especially on protein fibers like wool and silk. While less intense than dyes like weld or fustic, calendula imparts a natural radiance and softness ideal for botanical layering, overdying, or nuanced tonal work. Its high flavonoid content also contributes to mild antimicrobial and fiber-conditioning effects, prized in traditional herbalism.

Recommended Use

Use at 50–100% WOF for a medium to strong shade. Dye bath is made by simmering dried flower heads in water for 30–60 minutes, straining, and then adding pre-mordanted fiber. Yields the best results with alum mordant on protein fibers. Works on cotton and linen with pre-treatment but tends toward pale color unless layered or combined with tannin-rich dyes.

Historical Significance

Calendula has a long-standing place in both apothecary and dye gardens. Used across Europe and the Mediterranean since antiquity, it colored peasant garments, domestic linens, and seasonal festival cloths with its soft yellow tone. While rarely used for commercial-scale dyeing due to its lower pigment yield, it was valued in folk traditions and women's dyeing circles for its accessibility, ease of cultivation, and warm, gentle hues. It was also used symbolically in medieval religious textiles as a representation of the sun and the Virgin Mary.

Dye Details

Name: Flavonoid-rich extract from Calendula officinalis

Origin: Europe or North America (depending on harvest)

Dye Type: Botanical flower extract

Recommended Fibers: Wool, silk, alpaca, cotton, linen, and bast fibers

Lightfastness: Moderate to good on protein fibers; fair on cellulose

Mordants & Modifiers:

Alum – bright golden yellow

Iron – soft olive and mossy greens

Cream of Tartar – shifts toward pastel, buttery tones

Copper – adds coolness and deepens tone slightly

Tannin underlayer (oak, gall) – improves depth and fastness on plant fibers

Packaging

Available in resealable, eco-friendly kraft pouches. Instructions included for extraction and color variation techniques.