EntrePinoys Atbp.

Natural dyes are very important articles of commerce. With the coming of synthetic products, dyes have become cheaper and more available. Despite this, the production of natural dyes should not be neglected.

In the Philippines, there are a large number of plants which yield dyes. These plant species are found growing throughout the country. Some of them are used to dye fabrics, food like jams, sweets and ice cream. They also give color to beverages and are used as food flavoring.

Some of the species are enumerated with their botanical descriptions and the color of dyes derived from the plant.

ANNATO OR ACHUETE

Common name is achuete, annatto (English). Local names: achuete (Bicol, Ilocos, Panay, Visayas, Zambales, Pilipino); atsuiti (Ilocos, Pampanga); achote (Pangasinan); apatut (Nueva Vizcaya); asute (Bataan); janang, chanang (Sulu); sotis (Negros).

As dye, the coloring matter of the dried seed (bixin) is employed commercially for coloring butter, cheese and other food, condiments and in the preparation of leather and floor polishes. The bark is also a good source of dye. More details on Achuete (Annatto)

BANKORO

Common name is bankoro. Local names: bankoro (Visayas), bankudo (Tagalog); noni (Tahitians)

An erect, smooth shrub or small tree that grows up to 15 ft with spreading branches. Leaves are quite large, ovate in form, shining green contrasting with creamy white long lateral veins. Fruit is fleshy and as big as a child’s fist. When ripe, it looks pale yellowish and has soft pulp. Its odor and taste are unfavorable. Found throughout the Philippines. It is also found in India to Polynesia. It is growing along or near the seashore and rarely at high altitude.

Uses

• Tree : ornamental shade
• Leaves : medicinal
• Fruit juice : manufactured as health drink called noni
• Use as dye : bark of roots is used for dyeing in Java

Dried seeds are sown in seedboxes. Water regularly and when the seedlings reach to a height of 10 inches with at least 10 or more leaves, they may now be transplanted individually to pots or they may be planted on the ground with spacing of at least 10 m apart. Water the seedlings regularly and apply soap solution when attacked by aphids and mealy bugs. It bears flowers throughout the year.

BAYOK

The tree grows from 4 to 10 m in height. Leaves are oblong, 15 to 25 cm in length, pointed at the apex; broad and heart shaped at the base. The upper surface is smooth, and the lower surface is pale and densely hairy. Flowers are white, and born singly or in pairs. Fruit is woody and oblong.

Occurs from Cagayan to Camarines Provinces in Luzon, Mindoro, Palawan, Ticao, Masbate, Guimaras, Negros, Mindanao and Basilan. It is also found in Indo China, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java and Moluccas.

Uses

Wood is used for jointing, flooring, furniture, cladding, tool handles, implements and manufacture of plywood. It is also used in ship and bridge building and construction of beams, joists and rafters. Wood is also suitable for matches and production of wood-wool board.

The pulp is suitable for making paper. The leaves and bark, rich in tannin, are used in traditional medicine, e.g. as poultice against itch and to treat wounds, and taken internally to treat dysentery. Bark is used to toughen fishing nets. The bark of this tree is used for dyeing fish nets and cloth.

Site Requirements, Propagation and Management

Scattered in primary forests or grows abundantly in secondary forest especially on river banks, often on alluvial soils. It grows in elevation up to 1400 m asl.

There are about 19,500 dry seeds without wings per kg. Seeds can be stored for a maximum of two weeks, hence, these should be transported in the form of fruits. Seeds are sown in nursery beds provided with shade. Direct sowing or planting of wildlings has been done in case the development of seedlings is low.

Seedlings are planted in the field at 3 x 1 or 3 x 2 m. The gap closes after three years and the first thinning is necessary after 5 years to prevent formation of too slender stems which tend to bend. Yield is 51-64 m3/ha at 8 years and 98 m3/ha at 13 years. Trees generally coppice or re-sprout after fire. The tree is fast growing and light demanding. Regeneration in natural forest is restricted to gaps and forest fringes. In Thailand, P. diversifolium flowers in February-April and fruits in March-May.

BIGNAY

Common name is bignay. Local names: bignay kalabaw (Tagalog); bugnay (Ilocos, Bontok, Ibanag, Bisaya); bugney, buglay (Bontok, Ifugao); bundey, vunnai (Ibanag); dokodoko, nutagtamanuk (Bagobo); isip (Pampanga); oyhip (Sambali); bitaog, dalimdiman (Bukidnon); paginga, pagiruga (Ibanag).

Bignay is an attractive, dioecious shrub or a small tree 4 to 10 m high. Leaves are small, dark green, shiny, alternate, pointed at the tip, rounded or pointed at the base. Flowers are small, green and odorous. Fruit is thin-skinned, spherical to ovoid, dark red when ripe, small, juicy, sour and well flavored. It contains a single flat seed. There are 20 to 25 or more fruits per cluster.

It grows in Sri Lanka, southern India, eastern Himalaya, Burma (Myanmar), Indo China, southern China, Thailand, the Malesian region excluding Malaysian Peninsula and mot of Borneo (recorded in Banggi Island only) and Australia (Queensland). Possibly not native to the Philippines. Widely cultivated in Indonesia (mainly Java), Peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines and Indo China.

Economic Uses

• Tree : ornamental, reforestation and weed suppressing species.
• Leaves : young leaves are eaten as salad, sometimes used as substitute for tomato or vinegar flavor fish and meat stew.
• Leaves and bark : contains alkaloid and applied externally (though also reported as poisonous) e.g., to relieve fever and treat smallpox or body swellings.
• Wood : temporary construction, poles, posts, fence posts, walking sticks and tool handles.
• As dye : fruit is a source of blue dye.

Site Requirements and Propagation

Found in the understorey of primary or secondary, lowland to montane rain forest, up to 1,800 m altitude. They grow on a wide variety of soils including alluvial flats, clayey soils, peaty soils, volcanic soils, podzols and limestone.

Seeds, grafting or budding, stem cutting and marcotting. Depulped and fried fruits may be stored for 2 to 5 years in airtight containers. There are 28,000 dry seeds/kg. The seeds need one month after ripening and can then be sown under shade without pretreatment. Fresh seeds, however, need a pretreatment with sulfuric acid for 15 minutes followed by soaking in water for 4 hours. Seed viability of bignay is 3 to 30% germination. Germination takes 30 to 60 days. Bignay is known to flower from April to June. Generally, the main fruiting season is from July to August.

KATMON

A tree reaching a height of 6 to 15 m. The leaves are leathery, shining, 12 to 25 cm long. The flowers are white, large, showy, and about 15 cm in diameter. The fruit which is rounded, is 5 to 6 cm in diameter. Fruit is fleshy, green and edible with a flavor somewhat similar to a green sour apple. It is found throughout the Philippines and common in forests at low and medium altitudes. Propagation is by seeds.

A red dye is obtained from the bark.

LANGKA

Common name is langka or nangka (Jack fruit)

A yellow dye is obtained by boiling mature wood or sawdust, and is used for dyeing garments. More details on Growing Langka

MALUNGGAY

Common name is malunggay. Local names: arungai (Pangasinan); balungai (Visayas); dooi (Pampanga, Visayas); kalamungai (Panay, Visayas); kalungai (Pampanga, Tagalog, Bicol); komkompilan; marunggai (Ilocos, Ifugao); horse radish tree (English).

Three is used as fencing materials and support of black pepper vines. Young leaves, flowers and young pods are eaten as vegetables. Roots are used for seasoning. The bark exudes a reddish gum which is used for tanning. As dye: The wood is a source of blue dye. More details on Growing Malunggay (Moringa)

MANGO

A large, widely and densely crowned evergreen tree reaching a height of 33 m and a diameter of 2 m. Leaves are oblong to oblong lanceolate. Flowers are 3 to 4 mm with long, pink, red, orange, green or yellow petals. The bark exudes a milky latex when injured.

As dye, they yield a yellow textile dye (a xanthene derivative). In India, the yellow coloring in the leaves, bark and fruit is a dye called “peori dye”. More details on Mango Farming

NARRA

A large tree which grows up to 40 m high and a diameter of 120 cm. Bole is short, buttress is large, trunk fluted or deformed. Crown is wide spreading. early deciduous for a short time during dry season. Leaves alternate, simple nd shiny. Flowers numerous, bright yellow and fragrant. Fruit is flat, dry, very shortly beaked, containing 0 to 5 seeds. Grows throughout the Philippines. It also grows in India, Indo-China, Borneo, Celebes, New Guinea and the Caroline Islands.

The tree is planted as ornamental and shade tree. The wood is best known for furniture. As dye, the wood is a good source of red dye.

Site Requirements and Propagation

Thrives best in moist, sandy loam or clay loam soils along gullies and streambanks. It grows in elevations as high as 1,300 m and grows in any of the four climatic types of the Philippines. Adapted to temperatures of 22°C to 2°C and an average of annual precipitation of 2,366. Seeds, grafting, budding, marcotting and layering are used for propagation.

Narra blooms as early as March to as late as September every year but the principal flowering season is from July to September. The fruits mature from July to January.

SIBUKAU

It is a small tree, 3 to 5 m high. The leaves are compound and up to 50 cm long. The flowers are yellow. Pod is oblong, about 7 cm long, and 3.3 to 4 cm wide, hard and shining. Abundant throughout the Philippines. It occurs also in India, Malaya and Java. Grows at low and medium altitudes in dry thickets and parang. Seeds is the method of propagation.

Sibukau is chiefly used as a dyewood, being very popular among the Filipinos for coloring the native fabrics. The coloring matter of sappan wood is brazilin.

TEAK

A medium sized tree [25 to 30 m in height and approximately 1 m in diameter at breast height (dbh)]. However, under favorable site condition, it may grow up to a height of 50 m with a dbh of 2 m. It is a deciduous tree. Leaves are simple, ovate to round. Flowers are small but numerous and white. Fruits are
round, hard and about 1 cm in diameter which turns brown when mature. A fruit contains 1 to 4 seeds.

The species is well distributed in Asia, Southeast Asia, West Africa and to some extent in Central America, East Africa, and Oceania. It is a native of India and Indonesia. In the Philippines, it is mostly grown in many of the country’s reforestation projects. Extensive plantations could be observed in
the Ilocos Region, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Cebu and in Los Baños, Laguna.

Economic Uses

• Wood : construction of bridges, wharves, railway carriages, ship decks, wood carvings, and general carpentry.
• Leaves : leaves and nut have pharmaceutical value.
• Nut oil : hairgrower
• As dye : the root and bark is used in Celebes for a yellow stone brown coloring matter. The young leaves are used for dyeing in several parts of West Indies.

Site Requirements and Propagation

It grows well in lowland areas with elevation of not more than 800 m. It thrives well on deep, well drained soil, preferably calcareous soil (soil containing sufficient calcium carbonate). It should not be planted on dry, rocky slope or heavy clays. Rainfall is from 1,000 to 2,000 mm annually. Tolerates dry spells of 4 to 6 months. Temperature ranges from 18°C to 30°C. Propagation is from  seeds and cuttings

For more information, contact

Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Central Office: Visayas Avenue, Diliman, 1100 Quezon City
Telephone: (02) 929-6626
Email: web@denr.gov.ph
Web: www.denr.gov.ph

photos from clickthecity.com, .sciencedaily.com, botanic.jp, gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp, stuartxchange.org, dtpcpalakkad.com, rimbundahan.org, oak.cats.ohiou.edu

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