Symplocos Plant Mordant

Many plants are known as aluminum accumulators and can be used as alternatives to industrially processed alum with varying degrees of luck. You might be familiar with Symplocos tinctoria (AKA horse sugar or sweetleaf), a bushy tree native to Southeastern United States that grants a deep yellow color and has some alum retaining properties.
Another species of the Symplocos tree is the Indonesian Symplocos cochinchinensis. Gathered and ground in much the same ways, the fallen, yellowed leaves from the Symplocos cochinchinensis imparts a lighter shade of yellow along with a higher percentage of naturally occurring alum. In addition to having the useful and bio-friendly way to bypass the use of a more highly processed or synthetic option there have been some interesting colors achieved through experimentation; Logwood yielding brilliant blues, for example.

Natural dye giant, Michel Garcia, has teamed with the gifted Sara Goodman and Threads of Life founder William Ingram to help get the word out about this wonderful product, but the real story is of rain forest conservation and the support of the indigenous peoples.
Previously in Indonesia, traditional ikat dyers using the bark of the Morinda for their remarkable red dyes would also make use of the bark of the Symplocos tree. The Bebali Foundation has been studying the mordant process for a number of years in efforts to find a more sustainable way to acquire the needed alum without having to harvest the entire tree. They made a breakthrough with the fallen, yellowed leaves. Patiently gathered from the forest floor and milled by hand, The Plant Mordant Project has found a balance in helping the environment at the same time as granting opportunity to it's inhabitants.

Whether you're looking to mordant silk, wool, or cellulose fibers these informative instructions will point you in the right direction: Printable and Downloadable Instructions

It also includes instructions on how to create a paste to be used for silkscreening, block printing, or painting as well as a noteworthy read about the Foundations and peoples you are helping to support.