A crop plant, a parent of cultivated chicory. The thick roots are also used to make a coffee substitute, and are sometimes seen naturalised. It has wiry, branching upright stems with numerous flowers distributed along the branches, growing tightly to the stem, flowering throughout summer. They open in sunlight, but close in wet weather. 

Dye colour: Yellow, Tans, Browns

Dye source: Whole Plants, Roots

Flowering: July - October

Other common names: Barbe de capucin, Blue dandelion, Blue sailors, French endive, Witloof, Coffee weed.

How to extract the dyes: 

• Soak the dried flower heads in a pot filled with 4 litres of warm water for 30 minutes. 

• Heat the dye bath to +70 °C, well below the boiling point.  

• Adding one tablespoon of washing soda or 0.5-1 dl of wood ash lye can improve the colour extraction and modify the colour from brown to orange. 

• Steep the flowers for 30 minutes to extract dye.  

For more information about the dyeing process:

Natural dyes for education and colour experimentation