AFRICAN MARIGOLD (Tagetes patula) ~ Organic dried Flowers

African Tagetes Flowers – Tagetes patula

Dye Colour: Yellow and Orange | Botanical: Tagetes patula | Grown & Dried in Ireland

Bring the warmth of summer to your fibre work with our hand-harvested African Tagetes flowers (Tagetes patula), grown and dried in County Clare, Ireland. These marigold-like blossoms yield rich yellow and orange hues ideal for natural dyeing.

Unlike Tagetes erecta, this smaller-flowered variety is more delicate in shape, making it well suited to both dye extraction and eco-printing, as well as bundle dyeing. Its accessible petal structure makes it a favourite for surface design artists - though the pressed or fresh versions would work better.

🌼 Limited availability – grown in small batches using ecological methods.

Colour Fastness:

Poor to Medium

Product Details:

• Quantity: 25g (approx. 25–35 flower heads)

• Grown & Dried in: County Clare, Ireland

• Ideal for: Colour extraction, eco-printing, surface design

Mordant-Based Recipe for Wool (Hot and Cold Dyeing)

Ingredients:

• 25g of Tagetes patula flowers

• 100g of wool fibre

• 10% alum mordant (based on fibre weight)

Hot Dyeing Instructions:

1. Soak flowers overnight in water

2. Boil for 1 hour to extract the dye, then strain

3. Add mordanted wool and simmer for 1 hour

4. Leave the wool to cool overnight in the bath for richer tones

5. Rinse gently and dry

Cold Dyeing Instructions:

1. Soak the flowers for 24–48 hours in cool water

2. Strain the flowers and add mordanted wool to the bath

3. Let sit 1–3 days, stirring occasionally

4. Rinse gently and dry when colour is achieved

Enjoy rich, locally grown colour whether you're dipping skeins or creating botanical prints.
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