Natural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, herbal medicines, flowers, vegetables, teas or minerals. Archaeologists have found evidence of textile dyeing dating back to the Neolithic period. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from roots, berries, bark, leaves and wood. The dye materials are extracted from these sources when they are heated.
In China, natural dyeing has been traced back to the Qin (221- 206 BCE) and subsequent Han (202 BCE- 220 CE) dynasties. At present, the traditional dyeing craft is still preserved in the ethnic minority areas of Yunnan, Guizhou and other provinces in China.
植物染
植物染亦稱為草木染，採用天然植物、中藥材、花卉、蔬菜、茶葉，製成染料為織物染色。 據說早在新石器時代人類已懂得使用天然的植物染料，發現漫山遍野花果的根、莖、葉、皮都可以用溫水浸漬來提取染液。
中國秦漢時期的染色已有採用植物染料來染制布料。根據歷史記載，東漢時期在色彩品種上共有39種色彩，明朝時 更是到了57種色彩，清代以後則出現各類色彩名稱達到了704種之多。現在，草木染這種傳統染制技藝仍有在雲南、貴州等省份的少數⺠族地區保留。