Natural dye plant survey continues

HFMN’s natural-dye research team has entered the second year of a multi-district survey documenting Nepal’s dye-yielding flora. The survey combines field botany, elder interviews and lab testing to build a national colour library.

So far, over sixty species have been recorded — from madder root and marigold to walnut husk, pomegranate peel, rhododendron and various forest barks. Each entry is being tested for colour yield, wash and light fastness across silk, wool and cellulosic blends.

The library will underpin the HFMN natural-dye certification and the standardised recipe cards that will be distributed to village dye-houses in the coming year.