Autumn is my favourite time of year. I enjoy horror films and books, soups, stews, tea and, of course, quilts. Here in Spain, it is finally cool enough to be outside during the day without constantly seeking shade. The mountains are full of colour, mushrooms and life.
It is also a good time to experiment with natural colour. Before I collect anything for the dye pot, I check whether gathering is allowed, identify the plant, assess how much material is available and decide how much I can realistically use.
Wind-fallen material is usually my first choice because I can experiment without cutting from a living plant. Fallen leaves, fruit, bark and wood can still provide food and habitat, so I take only a small amount from an abundant source and leave the rest in place.
I forage for enjoyment, learning and small experiments. I do not rely on wild-foraged material for the things I sell. For shop products, I use materials bought from reputable suppliers or grown in gardens. If I want to use a plant I have previously tested through foraging, I buy it or collect it from a garden or private land with the owner’s permission, after checking any applicable restrictions.
This guide covers collecting and handling dye materials. For the next stage, see how to dye fabric with plants.
Check Before You Collect
Before gathering plant material, check who owns or manages the land and whether collecting is permitted. Public access does not automatically include permission to remove plants, bark, fruit, seeds or material that has already fallen.
Rules can differ between public land, protected areas, roadside verges, farmland and private property. Some places prohibit collection, while others distinguish between personal and commercial gathering. If you are unsure, ask the landowner or managing authority before taking anything.
If the material will contribute to something you intend to sell, check whether the relevant permission covers that use. Commercial collection can involve additional restrictions, permits or sourcing requirements. Keep a record of where the material came from and any permission obtained.
If the rules are unclear, leave the material where it is. Garden pruning, material offered by gardeners and other sources where permission is clear can provide another opportunity.
You do not need to publish the precise collection location. Keeping sensitive locations private can help prevent repeated harvesting from a small or unusual plant population.
Make Sure You Know What You Are Gathering
Only collect material when you can recognise the plant and the part you intend to use. Leaves, bark, roots, fruit and seed heads have different functions, so removing them can affect the plant in different ways.
Accurate identification also helps you avoid protected, uncommon or potentially harmful plants. If you are uncertain, take photographs for later research and leave the plant undisturbed.
Identification apps can provide a starting point, but check the result against a regional field guide, botanical reference or knowledgeable local source. Photograph several features, including the leaves, stems, flowers or fruit, instead of relying on one detail.
I use Flora Incognita. I find it easy to use, and I enjoy its challenges and badges for spotting different plants.
Look at How Much Is Available
A plant that appears abundant along one short section of a path may be scarce across the wider area. Look beyond the nearest specimen before deciding whether to collect.
I gather only what I expect to use and leave most of the material in place. Avoid stripping a plant of its leaves, flowers or fruit. Where collection is permitted and the species is genuinely abundant, spreading a small harvest across several plants can reduce pressure on one specimen.
Fallen material also needs assessing. Leave pieces that are scarce, heavily inhabited, providing obvious food or shelter, or becoming part of the soil.
Avoid Damaging the Plant
Take only the part needed for the intended dyeing method. Where cutting is permitted, use a suitable tool to make a clean cut without tearing branches or damaging nearby growth. Removing bark or roots can seriously damage or kill a plant. I would look for suitable prunings or permitted fallen material instead of removing these parts from a living wild plant.
Flowers and seed heads support reproduction and provide food for wildlife. Leave plenty to complete their natural cycle. Watch where you stand and how you reach the material. Trampling surrounding plants can cause damage even when the amount collected is small.
Collect Material You Can Use
Before collecting, consider the size of your dye pot, the time available for processing and the space needed for storage. A full bag of leaves or fruit can be more than you can manage once you return home.
Start with a small amount when trying an unfamiliar material. A swatch test gives you a chance to assess its colour before collecting enough for a larger project.
Choose material in a condition suitable for the planned process. Avoid heavily mouldy, visibly contaminated or badly decomposed pieces. Weathered material may produce different results from fresh material, so record its condition if you use it.
Be cautious around heavily trafficked roads, recently treated land and visibly polluted water. If you cannot establish whether a source is suitable, choose another one.
Begin with Wind-Fallen and Pruned Material
Wind-fallen leaves, fruit, cones and small branches let me try local colour without cutting healthy growth. Routine garden pruning can also provide useful material that has already been removed as part of maintenance.
Permission still matters. A pile beside a path or garden does not automatically mean that it is available to take.
Check fallen material before collecting it. It may be wet, mouldy or home to insects. Weathering and decomposition can also change its condition and the colour it produces. If a piece is clearly serving as food or habitat, leave it and look elsewhere.
When someone offers me garden prunings, I can ask what the plant is and whether it has been treated. That gives me more information about the source before I handle it or put it in the dye pot.
For other ways to find accessible materials and keep experiments manageable, see natural dyeing on a budget.
Choose a Suitable Time to Collect
The time of year affects which plant parts are available. Young leaves, mature leaves, flowers, fruit and fallen autumn material represent different stages of growth and may produce different dye results.
Consider the plant’s condition as well as the season. Avoid adding harvesting pressure to plants that are visibly stressed or damaged.
Weather affects handling too. Wet material can deteriorate while packed together. If you collect after rain, unpack it promptly and spread it out to allow surface moisture to dry before deciding how to store it. Avoid collecting when access is unsafe or when moving through the area would damage soft ground or surrounding growth.
Wear Gloves and Use Simple Collection Bags
I usually wear gloves while collecting to protect my hands from rough surfaces and direct contact with plant material. Choose gloves suitable for the task, particularly if thorns or irritating sap are present.
Gloves do not make an unknown plant safe to handle. Avoid touching your face while collecting, and wash your hands when you finish.
I use old fabric tote bags and drawstring bags. They are easy to reuse and allow some airflow around the contents. Separate bags keep different plants from becoming mixed together.
Do not pack delicate material so tightly that it is crushed. Damp material still needs unpacking promptly, even when the bag is breathable.
Scissors, secateurs or a small container for loose pieces may be useful, depending on what you are collecting. Carry tools only when they are needed, and use them where cutting is permitted.
Give Insects Time to Leave
Collected material can contain beetles, spiders, caterpillars and other small creatures hidden between leaves, inside seed heads or beneath bark.
When I return home, I leave my fabric bags outside for a while before bringing the material indoors. I open them and inspect the contents, gently separating pieces so insects have a chance to move away. Leaving a bag outside does not guarantee that every insect will leave, so I check again while sorting.
Keep the bags sheltered from rain and strong wind, and somewhere pets cannot scatter the contents. If a piece is heavily inhabited when you find it, leave it at the collection site.
Sort the Material Before Storage
Sort the collection before packing it away. Remove unrelated plants, excess soil and pieces unsuitable for the planned dye bath. Keep different materials separate unless you intend to test them together. This makes the results easier to interpret and reduces the chance of misidentifying something later. Decide whether to use the material fresh, dry it or freeze it. The appropriate method depends on the plant part and the dyeing process, so check the guidance for that particular material.
Do not seal damp material in an airtight container for long-term storage at room temperature. Trapped moisture can encourage mould and decomposition. Material intended for drying needs suitable airflow and regular checks before it is packed away.
Label each batch with the plant name, plant part, collection date and whether it was fresh, fallen or pruned. These details help explain differences between dye results.
Keep the Collection Away from Food Preparation
Store and process dye materials separately from food. Use dedicated dyeing equipment and label collected plants clearly, especially when berries, fruit skins or leaves resemble food ingredients.
Keep the material away from children and pets. Another person should be able to tell that the contents are intended for dyeing.
Check the handling requirements for each plant before processing it. Use suitable gloves where sap, thorns or fine hairs could irritate the skin, and avoid materials you cannot identify confidently.
Use the Material with Care
Begin with a small dye bath or swatch test when working with an unfamiliar plant. This lets you assess the result before committing a large quantity of fabric or collected material.
Record the plant, the part used, its condition, the fibre, fabric preparation, mordant and dyeing conditions. Weighing the material and fabric is more useful for comparison than recording only the number of bags collected.
My guide to building a natural dye binder and swatch library shows how to keep recipes, observations and samples together.
After dyeing, decide how to dispose of the plant matter and liquid according to everything added to the bath. Plant matter that has been kept separate from mordants and modifiers may be suitable for composting, depending on the plant and local guidance. Once chemicals have been added, assess the waste according to those substances and the relevant disposal requirements.
Do not pour leftover dye liquid onto the collection site or into waterways.
Keep Track of Your Collected Dye Materials
Use my free Labels for Natural Dyeing to organise collected materials and small dye tests. Label each batch clearly so you can connect the material with your notes and results. You can keep detailed sourcing and permission records separately without publishing an exact location.
Get the free natural dye labels
Common Foraging Mistakes
Taking More Than You Can Process
Gather an amount that suits your equipment, storage space and available time. A large collection is wasted if it spoils before reaching the dye pot.
Assuming Fallen Material Is Available to Take
Collection rules can apply to fallen leaves, bark, fruit and wood. These materials can also provide food and habitat, so check permission and assess the site before removing anything.
Assuming Personal Collection Permission Covers Commercial Use
If the material will be used in products for sale, check the rules for that use. Permission from a landowner may still need to be considered alongside other restrictions.
Removing Too Much from One Plant
Leave most flowers, fruit and seed heads in place. Avoid stripping leaves, pulling up roots or peeling bark from living wild plants.
Mixing Unidentified Materials
Keep different plants separate and label them while their identity is clear. A mixed bag is harder to sort and makes dye results difficult to interpret.
Leaving Damp Material Packed Away
Unpack damp material promptly. Inspect it and prepare it for immediate use or an appropriate storage method.
Choose One Material for a Small Test
For your next experiment, choose one confidently identified material from an abundant source where collection is permitted. Gather only what you can process, check it for insects and label it before preparing a small dye test.
Keep a record of the source, plant part and condition alongside your dyeing notes. Then follow an appropriate plant-dyeing method for the material and fibre you have chosen.
Further Reading
The FairWild Standard provides a framework for responsible wild collection, including conservation, traceability and the people involved in harvesting.
The FAO’s guidance on sustainable wild harvesting discusses plant identification, population density, harvesting methods and collection restrictions. Neither resource replaces checking the rules for the specific place where you intend to gather material.
