Last week for our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY, we had Botanical Colors President Kathy Hattori talking all things Ceriops tagal!
Watch the video recording below:
Shop Ceriops tagal HERE.
Ceriops tagal, also known as Indian mangrove, is prized for its tannin-rich bark, which yields very dark red-brown on cellulose fibers. Mangroves are widely distributed in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia and parts of Australia and the Pacific. They are an important tree in coastal ecosystems, and mangroves are under tremendous environmental stress from herbicide runoff to clear cutting groves for aquaculture. Strong management of mangroves to protect them but also allow for selective harvest is key to supporting both village economic demands and mangroves.
There are controlled mangrove ecosystems that have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for environmental management and protection, and it is from these mangroves that we obtain our dye. The tree is harvested under FSC guidelines, and the bark is removed and considered a by-product. The bark is distributed to local villagers who boil the bark into an extract.
Ceriops is considered precious and the dyestuff is not normally thrown away after a dye session. Rather, the dye is mixed and allowed to age for a month, then reboiled and strained for dyeing. After dyeing, the dye liquid is returned to the ceriops vat and saved for future use.
We are so proud to work with Threads of Life to get this dye and can’t wait to share it with you!
FEEDBACK FRIDAY
If you are not familiar with FEEDBACK FRIDAY, every week, we speak with dyers, artists, scientists and scholars about our favorite topic, natural dyeing and color. Curated by Amy DuFault, Botanical Colors’ Sustainability Director and presented by Botanical Colors’ Founder Kathy Hattori.
We even have our own theme song thanks to musician Jimmie Snider!