Annatto dried seeds

pol. Arnota właściwa, drzewko orleańskie
łac. Bixa orellana
ang. annato, lipstick tree

100 g

Form: dried seeds of annatto

Family: Bixaceae

Natural habitat: South and Central America (mainly Brazil and Mexico)

Dyes contained in annato seeds: annatto, bixin, norbixin

DYEING WITH ANNATTO

Colors that can be obtained from annatto: Seeds of annatto allow you to create a wide palette of warm colors. On alum mordant and soy modifier it gives shades of yellow, orange and apricot, on iron mordant you will get shades of brown, green and gray. Lipstick tree dyes wool and silk to an intense juicy orange color.

Dye bath: due to the strong smell, it is good to ventilate the workplace

Mordants: alum, iron sulphate, myrobalan, soybean, oak galls

Fibers with which it is bonded: natural fibers of plant and animal origin - fabrics from raw materials such as: wool, alpaca, mohair, merino, silk, linen, cotton, hemp, sisal and others

More on annatto:

- e-book "WILD DYES. On natural dyeing textile with plants" - https://etsy.me/3lRmkwi

Interesting facts: Lipstick tree is also called Achiote. Since antiquity, it has been used in the circle of South American culture. Currently, it has a versatile application: in medicine (the whole plant has medicinal properties), art, food industry (annatto dye E160b) and cosmetics. In the past, lipsticks were made from dye obtained from annatto seeds, hence the common name – lipstick tree. In regions of South America, the Amazonian Indians still use annatto as a pigment to paint their bodies. Annatto is also grown as an ornamental plant.