Natural Dyes: The Colorful World of Katie Bronson

Inside the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, discover the work of NYBG Gardener Katie Bronson as she shares one of her other passions alongside horticulture: natural dyes. Using plant materials from the Garden otherwise destined for the compost heap, Bronson has achieved a wide variety of colors while dying wool, alpaca, and hemp—and many of the plants she uses might be familiar!

From rosemary and avocado skins to sweetgum leaves and more, discover the age-old process of natural dying with the help of the Library’s renowned collection of floras and botanical illustrations, elaborating on each of the species and plant parts Bronson uses to capture these hues.