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Article: Natural Dye of the Week: Eupatorium
Natural Dye of the Week: Eupatorium
So all these years we have been trying to preserve the bio diversity in the region by planting more trees. But this particular species which we are going to talk about now has to be weeded out in order to preserve the diversity!
Eupatorium - commonly called Basunti is a highly invasive species. Found in abundance along the mountainsides in the Central Himalayas, pose a serious threat to the environment and economy. Eupatorium prevents growth of other plants in the surrounding thereby depleting species diversity in the region.
AVANI has employed locals to uproot these plants from the forest. Thereby by helping -
- In regeneration of the forest.
- Serves as additional income for the locals for bringing in raw materials.
- Provide raw material for producing natural pigments and dyes.
We can achieve quite a few number of shades from dull khaki, golden yellow to bright greens. A simple trick by changing their pH can give various shades. When used with Iron they produce earthy moss green while over-dyeing with Indigo gives beautiful yellow and blue greens. These plants are flexible and works well with other dye materials. Apart from extracting dye pigments, the leaves of Eupatorium are also used for their healing properties on cuts and wounds.
