Buckthorn Berries (Rhamnus Maturi) organic

Wooden bowl filled with black dried fruits on a white background

Buckthorn Berries (Rhamnus Maturi) organic

$7.50

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Buckthorn berries (Rhamnus cascara), also known as Avignon berries, Persian berries, common buckthorn, are a traditional source of sap green dyes and inks. Used since at least the 15th century, they are mentioned in historic dye books such as the Nürnberger Kunstbuch (15th c.) and the Plichto (16th c.). By the 18th–19th centuries, they were widely used in textile dyeing, manuscript illumination, and ink making.

Did you know? In European folk traditions, buckthorn berries were not only used as a purgative but were also believed to ward off witches and demons. Their juice was often stored in animal bladders, which is why one of the traditional color names is bladder green.

Active dye compound: Rhamnetin
Colour Index: CI Natural Green 2

Our berries are 100% organic, sustainably foraged in Europe.

Shading Tips

Substantive dye → no mordant required on wool
Alum → clearer yellows, improved fastness
Copper (verdigris or copper sulfate) → intensifies green, increases stability
Iron → shifts to olive or brownish greens
pH variations:
– Acidic → yellow-greens
– Alkaline → brighter or more muted tones
Overdye with indigo → stronger, richer greens

WOF: 100–200% (berries are less concentrated than extracts)
Preparation:
– Soak berries in warm water for several hours
– Boil for at least 20 minutes, strain through cloth or filter before adding textiles
Fiber types: Works best on protein fibers (especially wool)
Notes:
– Substantive dye: mordant not essential, but improves fastness
– Longer boiling or vinegar extraction can improve color stability
– Historically used for both textiles and pigment lakes for oil painting
Pigment making: Mix juice with alum, add potash lye to precipitate a green lake for painting

Historical recipes (Johann C. Leuchs, 1846):

Half-ripe berries fermented, pressed, mixed with alum or potash, boiled to honey-thick juice; improved with vinegar or verdigris.
Berries boiled, strained, reduced to extract, thickened with alum, dried in animal bladders. Lye shifts green to yellow; stable green lake is called bladder green.