Japanese Indigo
Certified Organic
Persicaria tinctoria
Create vibrant dyes multiple ways.
Grow your own blue dye! Indigo is one of the oldest plant textile dyes, and it’s pretty as an ornamental too. These vigorous plants produce an abundance of side shoots for cut-and-come-again plant dye material and, as they mature, pretty clusters of pink flowers too. Achieving the famous dark blue hues requires advanced dye techniques, but it’s easy (and fun!) to produce aqua, teal, and pale blue-green with fresh leaves. In our trials, we had good results with the fresh leaf method on natural fabric blends pre-treated with soya. Some excellent blog tutorials on the process can be found via The Dogwood Dyer and Rebecca Desnos.
from $3.99
| Unit | Price | Quantity | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Pack / Organic / 25 seeds | $4.79 | Out of Stock | |
| 25 Seeds / Organic | $3.99 | Out of Stock | |
| 75 Seeds / Organic | $6.99 | Out of Stock | |
| 225 Seeds / Organic | $11.49 | Out of Stock |
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Sow seeds shallowly and provide warmth, light and even moisture. To aid in germination, seeds may also be soaked for 12-24 hours in advance. Transplant outdoors 12" apart after danger of frost has passed. Harvest as desired by cutting above a branching point, ideally before flowering for dye.
| Days to Germination | 10-14 |
|---|---|
| Days to Maturity | 75 |
| Planting Depth | 1/8" |
| Spacing in Row | 12" |
| Spacing Between Rows | 12" |
| Height at Maturity | 36" |
| Width at Maturity | 24" |
| Sun Preference | Full Sun |
As a fourth-generation Japanese American, Patricia Wakida has dedicated much of her career to researching and creating artwork that is reflective of her culture, history, and art. That work has always been informed by other artists whose work reflects the struggle for equality by exploring astonishing resilience of the mind and cultural adaptation to survive.