Dyeing with Cosmos: A Beginner’s Guide

Cosmos might be the #1 pick for my dye garden and my dye pot. They are hardy, beautiful, drought tolerant and easy to grow, making them perfect for our high mountain desert climate.

The flowers are a cheerful addition to any summer garden. I love the bright blooms that dance above the bushy bases, attracting pollinators all day long. Cosmos are also prolific producers and will bloom right up until the first frost. For natural dyeing, they’re also a surprisingly powerful source of natural color, giving you a palette of rich yellows, oranges, pinks, and purples. I’ve used cosmos varieties for immersion dyeing, eco printing, and tatakizome (flower pounding), always with beautiful, vibrant results.

When and where should I plant my cosmos?

In regions with strong sunlight, dry air, and short growing seasons, cosmos thrive where other plants struggle. Native to Mexico, these sun-loving annuals tolerate poor soil and infrequent water, making them a natural fit for Salt Lake’s high-altitude desert gardens.

If planting from seed, start your seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date before transplanting after all frost risk has passed. You can also sow seeds directly when the soil has warmed, or plant starts in early to mid-May. 

When choosing a garden location, keep in mind that cosmos like full sun and well-drained soil. Once established, water sparingly. 

These resilient flowers bloom continuously through the summer, offering a steady supply of blossoms for all of your dyeing projects. Cosmos flowers are best harvested at full bloom for dyeing. For ongoing use, they can be dried and stored in a cool, dark place.

What varieties should I choose and what colors will they give me?

Cosmos flowers come in several varieties, each offering a different dyeing potential. I could talk for hours about the range of colors cosmos flowers produce, but the short answer is: it depends on the variety, method, and fiber used. Two primary species are commonly used in natural dyeing: Cosmos bipinnatus and Cosmos sulphureus.

• Cosmos bipinnatus: This variety includes pink, purple, and white blooms. It’s ideal for creating soft, pastel colors in immersion dyeing, and works beautifully in eco printing and tatakizome when fresh.
  
  
• Cosmos sulphureus (sulphur cosmos): Known for its vibrant yellow, orange, and red-orange hues, this species is pigment-rich and excels in immersion dyeing, giving strong golds and oranges. Varieties like ‘Bright Lights’ and ‘Cosmic Orange’ are particularly effective in eco printing and flower pounding due to their bold color and defined petal shapes.
  
  

Cosmos is ideal for desert gardens and natural dyeing

I would recommend growing cosmos to anyone—they add a beautiful, cheerful pop of color to gardens or cut flower arrangements, pollinators adore them and less than attentive gardeners (like me) love them for their ease of maintenance and low-water needs. And for the natural dyer, they offer a sustainable, beautiful way to add natural color to your textiles. Whether you’re soaking wool yarn in a rich golden bath or creating a delicate flower print on a silk scarf, cosmos can bring the brilliance of your garden into your art.