Osage Orange Extract

Description

Osage Orange Extract

We are pleased to offer an extract of an indigenous North American dye plant, Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera).  The Osage tree is native to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, and has naturalized in many parts of the country.  The tree is prized for its strong wood and beautiful yellow-brown color.  It forms a dense thicket and spreads through seed and root propagation.

Our Osage is a very concentrated powdered extract which dissolves easily in hot water and yields a gorgeous deep golden yellow.  We think you’ll be pleased with the rich shades you can achieve with this extract.  It mixes well with madder to make a deep orange, and when overdyed with indigo, it makes a beautiful leaf green.

The tree is named after the Osage nation in Oklahoma.

From 1935 to 1942, the New Deal funded an ambitious project called the Great Shelterbelt, which stretched for 1,300 miles from Texas to Canada. At that time, the entire region was suffering from massive dust storms, drought, and eroded topsoil referred to as the Dust Bowl. 220 million Osage and other trees were planted in rows of 17 trees: deep enough to hold soil and water, and to break the scouring action of the wind on adjoining fields. In all, 33,000 shelterbelts were planted. Along with improved soil management and restoration, Osage played a crucial role during a period of economic and environmental crisis.

Sold in 50 and 100g jars.