🌸 Seasonal Dye Calendars: What’s Blooming and What Colours You Can Get
Discover nature’s palette through the seasons using native Australian plants
Australia’s diverse native flora offers a beautiful, sustainable way to dye fabrics using natural colours derived from plants, flowers, and bark. Whether you're new to botanical dyeing or a seasoned artist, understanding what's blooming each season can transform the way you colour fabric naturally.
In this guide, we’ll explore which native plants are in season throughout the year, what colours they yield, and how to start your own seasonal natural dye calendar.
🍂 Why Use Seasonal Botanical Dyes?
Using seasonal plants to dye your fabric is not only more sustainable, but also deeply grounding. You become attuned to local rhythms, weather patterns, and the beauty of slow fashion. Seasonal dyeing:
Reduces waste and transport emissions
Supports local biodiversity
Produces colours that reflect nature’s cycle
Encourages conscious making
Want to learn more about the benefits of slow fashion? Read this excellent guide by Good On You.
🌼 SPRING (September–November)
Key plants blooming:
Wattle (Acacia) – bright yellow flowers
Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos) – red, orange, green
Bottlebrush (Callistemon) – vivid reds and pinks
Banksia – muted oranges, browns and pinks
Alyogyne hueglii (Native Hibiscus) - Soft purples and mauves, delicate flower pounding or solar dye
Hibiscus tiliaceus (Beach Hibiscus, Native Hibiscus, Cottonwood Tree) - Yellow, golden, browns, tans, olives
Colour potential:
Wattle leaves: soft olive greens & Wattle flowers: Yellow
Kangaroo Paw flowers: peachy-pinks, sometimes dusky mauve
Banksia cones: warm browns, pinks and smoky grey
Alyogyne hueglii flowers: violet grey, green, neon yellow *(Dependant on mordant and technique)
Hibiscus tiliaceus : Yellow, golden, browns, tans, olives *(Dependant on mordant and technique)
🌱 Tip: Spring is ideal for flower pounding and bundle dyeing techniques while blooms are fresh.
☀️ SUMMER (December–February)
Key plants available:
Eucalyptus leaves (varieties) – abundant year-round
Marri gum (Corymbia calophylla) – sticky resin, pink gum nuts
Lilly Pilly (Syzygium) – pink to purple berries
Colour potential:
Eucalyptus: rusts, oranges, ochres
Lilly Pilly berries: soft lavender to blush pinks
Marri gum: rich caramel or golden hues
🌿 Want to try eco-printing with eucalyptus? Here’s a great resource from India Flint, the pioneer of eco-dyeing.
🍁 AUTUMN (March–May)
Harvestable plants and materials:
Grevillea – late flowers in some varieties
Sheoak cones (Allocasuarina) – good for tannins
Fallen leaves – Eucalyptus, Oak, Ironbark
Hibiscus tiliaceus (Beach Hibiscus, Native Hibiscus, Cottonwood Tree) - Yellow, golden, browns, tans, olives
Colour potential:
Grevillea flowers: subtle coral and peach
Sheoak: earthy browns and greys
Fallen leaves: golden rusts, olive greens
Hibiscus tiliaceus : Yellow, golden, browns, tans, olives *(Dependant on mordant and technique)
🌞 Autumn tip: Let leaves rest and oxidize before dyeing — it can bring deeper tones.
❄️ WINTER (June–August)
Slow season, but not colourless:
Bark (stringybark, paperbark) – high in tannin
Eucalyptus bark peelings – excellent for steam dyeing
Banksia – muted oranges, browns and pinks
Native indigo (Indigofera australis) – if you grow it, harvest before frost
Colour potential:
Bark dyes: deep browns, smoky greys, sepia
Banksia cones: warm browns, pinks and smoky grey
Indigofera: true blues (requires fermentation)
🧪 Learn more about native indigo dyeing at local and bespoke and Gumnut Magic
🗓️ How to Create Your Own Seasonal Dye Calendar
Want to start your own dye log? Here's how:
Track the plants around you – What’s blooming? When?
Record the results – What colour did you get from that plant?
Note conditions – Time of day, water pH, fabric type.
Photograph your swatches – For visual reference year to year.
🧵 Bonus: Join our Natural Dye Workshops to learn hands-on how to build a seasonal palette! Check our events here
🌏 A Note on Ethical Foraging
Only collect small amounts from areas where foraging is permitted. Never strip a plant, and avoid rare or endangered species. You can learn more about safe foraging practices at Australian Georgraphic
💌 Stay Connected with Nature’s Colour
By embracing a seasonal approach to dyeing, you're not just colouring fabric — you're weaving the story of place, weather, and wild beauty into every piece.
✨ Subscribe to the Rivarossa Botanicals newsletter for seasonal dye guides, workshop updates, and new collections.
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