Vegetable dyes are a great way to dye fabric and hair, without using chemicals that damage the environment.
There are many different plants that can be used to create dyes, these are:
| Plant | Part | Colour. |
| Woad (Isatis tinctoria): | Leaves | blue, Somewhat complicated process involving a real chemical cocktail. Woad (Indigo) dyes by oxidation, the trick is to get the dye bath right. Indigo is a fast dye that fades very little in sunlight or in washing. |
| Weld (Reseda luteola): | Whole plant | lemon yellow with alum. |
| Blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus): | Fruits | shades of purple and blue with alum. |
| Elder (Sambucus nigra): | Berries Leaves | purple and violets with alum, green with alum. |
| Blackberries (Rubus fructicosus): | Shoots Berries | black /greys with iron, blue, grey with alum |
| Bracken (Pteris aquiline): | Young shoots Roots | yellow/greens with alum; orange/yellow with alum |
| Heather (Calluna vulgaris): | Shoots: | olive/yellow with alum |
| Fig (Ficus carica): | Leaves: | lemon yellows with alum |
| Birch (Betula alba): | Leaves: | yellow with alum |
| Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium): | Leaves: | yellow with alum |
| Ragwort (Senicio jacobaea): | Whole plant | yellow with alum |
| Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare): | Flowers | yellows with alum |
| Canadian Golden Rod (Solidago Canadensis): | Flowers | golden yellow with chrome |
| Pine (Pinus ssp.) | Cones: | orange/yellow with alum; browns with iron |
| Onion (Allium cepa) | Skins: | golden browns with alum |
| Walnut (Juglans regia) | Shells | pinkish browns (no mordant) |
| Turmeric (Curcuma longa): | Root: | yellow (no mordant) |
The best known vegetable dye for temporary designs is probably Henna (Lawsonia inermis), which is still widely used in the Middle East and Asia, particularly in connection with wedding ceremonies. In recent years it has also become increasingly popular in the West, at first as a hair dye and now also for temporary tattoos. In South America indigenous people use Achiote (Bixa orellana) and Huito (Genipa americana) both, for body painting and as a dye for natural fibres.
