I’ve been doing natural dyeing demonstrations for many years. Although nearly any green plant will produce some shade of yellow, I was never satisfied with the results. About 5 years ago, in a search for a clear, golden yellow dye to make some muffatees with my homespun, I remembered the orangey sap that oozes from celandine when it’s pulled up. This plant grows wild in several areas of my yard, so I collected some and gave it a try as a dye. The results were spectacular: a soft, true, buttery yellow.
And it was easy! I simmered the plant, roots, leaves and all, in about 1 gallon of water for about 1/2 hour, then removed the plant material. The yarn was mordanted in alum and cream of tartar, and submerged in the celandine bath. I simmered (not boiled) the yarn for another 1/2 hour, and was so happy with the results.
Celandine in New England begins to blossom in late May or June. The plants are perennial. Oh, by the way, the juice of celandine is supposed to be a great remedy for “piles: (hemorrhoids), but as I haven’t tried it myself, I’m not making any promises!
Dances with Wools 
I was so shocked by the colour from this – I’d never seen it before! And I’m Irish!
But Oooh be careful with your remedies! This is not pilewort! This is greater Celandine with the distinctive 4 Yellow petals.
You are thinking of lesser celandine, which you’ll find very soon all over woods in Europe. Greater celandine is a different plant as I learned.
I was confused for many years wondering how the same plant could be proscribed so differently. In Ireland we just don’t have greater Celandine, at all really. The English didn’t bring it. Probably mainly soldiers and not many women and healers traveled to Ireland. They did to New England.
It is used mainly as an Eye cure, and a purgative, for worms. It’s very effective as a purgative, very sick-making. The Dutch call it “stinking gold”. Be careful dyeing as you might feel nauseous.
Maria Treben prescribed it as an eye cure, she advised keeping some buried in snow to use it placed fresh on the eyes every night. I’m not sure how the 1st New Englanders used it but they considered it important enough to bring. A spring purge was pretty traditional for home health for everyone from medieval times.
The lesser celandine for piles is the low cover woodland one with many yellow petals. And it was said to be so from the doctrine of progenitor – that is that ‘God described each plant’s use in its appearance’:. It’s roots have nodes and lumps.
Most people would first use horse chestnut and witch hazel for haemorrhoids.
Greetings from an Irishwoman stranded in the Netherlands!
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Thanks for sharing this, I’ve been hoping to try dyeing with the greater celandine which is all over the woods behind the house. Just to be clear though, you were referring to that celandine, I hope, Chelidonium majus? That’s the species usually used for dyeing… since it’s an invasive exotic here in the Northeast US, the more you rip out of the ground, roots and all, the better!
But picture you show is the related native wildflower, celandine poppy Stylophorum diphylum, an uncommon native species that likes the same moist woodland floors. It’s very similar but the chubby fuzzy seed pods are the giveaway. Also used for dye by Natives, but really should be encouraged to grow and not be ripped up… then there’s lesser celandine, Ficaria verna, as mentioned above by Catherine, another invasive exotic in New England. Doubt it’s useful for dye, as it doesn’t have the orange sap and is in a different plant family altogether.
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Celidonium majus . Thanks, Anita, for visiting and commenting.
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