Madder

Table of Contents

1. Description
2. Origin
3. Uses
4. Culture
5. Sources
6. Thanks to...

Rubia tinctorum
Family: Rubiaceae

Common names: madder

Description

This perennial plant has slender, slightly square, jointed stems that are covered with short prickles allowing the plant to climb. The stems are not strong enough to bear the weight of the plant so if it cannot climb up something it will ramble along the ground. Leaves have prickly margins and midribs and are arranged in circles of four to six around the stem. Flowers are small, greenish white to pale yellow and slightly bell-shaped. Madder will grow approximately 120 cm high.

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Origin

Mediterranean: Before the development of chemical dyes, madder was one of the most important dye plants. The ancient Greeks and Romans used madder as a medicinal plant but its medicinal properties are not as significant as its use as a dye plant. Madder was used medicinally in China since 260 BC and has long been used in Ayurveduc medicine. The synthesis of alizarin (its principle pigment) in 1868 reduced its importance as a dye plant.

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Uses of Madder and claims

• Culinary: none
• Medicinal: roots were believed to help break down and prevent kidney stones; root and stem were used to promote the flow of urine and menstrual blood, said to cure jaundice, inflammations, worms, dysentery, diarrhea, dropsy, rickets.
• Industrial: 3-6 year old roots produce an excellent orange (rubiacin), red (alizarin), purple (purpurin), or yellow (xanthine) dye. Roots are fermented to obtain the dyes and they are used as pigments in inks and paints.

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Culture

• Propagation: Madder can be propagated from seed, root and shoot divisions. Germination takes 2 to 3 weeks.
• Soil Type: The soil should be well drained, deep, and loamy. Madder prefers a site in full sun or partial shade in soil with a pH of 7.5 to 8.5.
• Harvest: Lift rhizomes and roots form 3-year-old plants in the autumn. Roots should be peeled and dried. For Chinese medicine, roots are lifted in the spring. Roots for dying can be lifted in the spring or fall.

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Sources

• Bremness, L. 1994. Herbs. Dorling Kindersley Ltd.
• Kowalchik, C. and W. H. Hylton Eds. 1998. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Rodale Press.
• Bown, D. 1995. Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. RD Press.
• Keville, K. 1994. Herbs an Illustrated Encyclopedia. Friedman/Fairfax publishers.

Thanks to

This demonstration garden was a result of the efforts of Dr. Alan McKeown, Vegetable Scientist, University of Guelph and was made possible with grants from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the Tobacco Diversification Program.

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