Madder is an herbaceous perennial and popular dye plant. The roots are commonly used to produce red to orange dyes. Madder requires a mordant (alum) for use on protein fibers. The earliest evidence of madder use for dye comes from an archaeological site in what is now Pakistan, dating to the 3rd millenium BCE.

Madder is an easy plant to grow, though it thrives in rich, damp soil, and full sun. It is frost tolerant, but the must be moved indoors or mulched heavily in colder conditions. The plants are tall and sprawling- stake them or prune them back to keep them manageable. They tend to be fairly aggressive in a garden setting, so consider keeping them in a large container.

*Our plants are sold at 2 years. The color of the roots will be best developed in another 1-2  years. Some people are sensitive to the hairs on the stems and leaves, so consider wearing gloves when working with them.

Water Use: Medium

Light Requirement: Sun to part shade

Soil Moisture: Damp

Soil type: Loam, potting or garden mix

Soil pH: 6-7

Drought Tolerance: Moderate

While not a wildlife plant per se, I have found the song sparrows seem to really enjoy the berries in the fall.

Deciduous perennial