DYEING PLANTS
Many plants in Kyrgyzstan contain dyeing substances. There are more than 80 species of such plants. However, dyeing plants have practically lost their significance today. Synthetic dyes are now used more widely. Only for the production of lipsticks and in confectionery factories are plant-based dyes used. Nevertheless, many residents of Kyrgyzstan still deal with plant-based dyes. Therefore, we will briefly characterize some dyeing plants of the republic below.
Common Thistle. An annual plant with a straight branched stem, reaching 20—80 cm in height.
The leaves are round-triangular, rough, and stiff. It has original flower baskets that are abundantly covered with spines.
It grows everywhere in Kyrgyzstan along riverbanks, in fields, near ditches and roads. It is considered a weed. It contains yellow dye.
Three-part Succisa. An annual plant 20—110 cm tall. The branches and leaves are arranged oppositely on the stem. The flower baskets are brown-yellow. It grows in wet places, along riverbanks, lakes, ditches, ponds, and marshes.
It is considered a weed. However, it is also used in folk medicine to treat scrofula in children. It contains brown-yellow and ochre-reddish dye. The leaves are used for dyeing.
Annual Wormwood. A widely distributed weed. It grows in gardens, orchards, and fields. It contains green, brown-green, and lemon-yellow dyes. The root is used for dyeing.
Perovskia. It grows in deserts. During flowering, it is extraordinarily beautiful with its numerous light blue bilabiate flowers. It contains blue tone dye.
Jerusalem Crosswort. A desert plant from the Euphorbiaceae family. It grows in the western part of the Chui Valley on sandy soils. Its leaves are used to dye silk fabrics in pink tones.
Harmala. An infusion of its seeds yields red dye for silk and wool.
Barberry. The juice of the berries of various species of barberry is used to dye carpet products in red and purple tones.
Onosma. A herbaceous plant covered with stiff hairs. It contains dark purple dye in the bark of its roots.
Indigo Plant. It grows along riverbanks. The juice of its leaves is used for dyeing eyebrows and eyelashes, as well as for obtaining indigo dye.
Macrotomia. It grows high in the mountains. It provides red dye for making blush and lipstick. However, this plant should be used very carefully, as it grows slowly, and digging up the roots for dye can have a devastating effect on the regeneration of this valuable dyeing plant.
Northern Galium. Widely distributed in high-grass post-forest meadows. Its roots contain red dye.
Blackberry. The juice of blackberry berries yields purple dye.
Blue Cornflower. It is a weed in cereal crops. Sometimes it is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It contains blue and light blue dyes in its petals.
Persicaria. A weed. It grows within populated areas and along roads. It contains blue, yellow, and green dyes.
Buckthorn. Its berries yield a durable green dye, while the bark contains brown and burgundy dyes.
Przewalski's Helmet. It grows in gravelly places. It contains yellow dye.
Walnut. The husk of the fruit contains brown dye, which is used in folk traditions for dyeing hair.
Onion. Its scales contain yellowish-brown dye. During the Christian holiday "Easter," believers dye eggs in yellow and brown tones using it.
Arnebia. An annual plant that grows in deserts and southern rocky-gravel slopes. It contains red tone dye in its roots, suitable for making lipstick.
In conclusion, it should be noted that red dyes can be obtained from barberry, harmala, St. John's wort, macrotomia, onosma, northern galium, and Dzhungarian sunbright. Blue dyes are found in plants such as indigo plant, blue cornflower, livewort, elecampane, persicaria, and hrozofora. Yellow dyes can be obtained from birch, common thistle, livewort, euphorbia, helmet, and sorrel. Black dyes are contained in knotweed, pomegranate, walnut, and white mulberry. Green dyes are found in aconite, anemone, lady's mantle, and juniper. Purple dyes are present in blackberry, barberry, and several other plants.
More attention should be paid to dyeing plants, especially those used in the food industry and perfumery.