Mushroom colour
Dyer’s mazegill, dyer’s polypore, velvet polypore, velvet top fungus, pine dye polypore, cowpie fungus…all names for this one type of mushroom that readily gives colours of yellow, orange and brown.
We are so lucky, another friend with another gift, this time a big bottle of yellow dye, made from a hoard of this fungus found on their work travels, the benefits of working in the forest. Thank you Aidan!
This fungus is found on dead or living conifers. While it primarily grows on the ground from the roots of these trees, it can occasionally be found on decaying stumps or slightly further up the base of a tree. It often looks like they are growing from the ground, but they are actually attached to the tree roots underground!
The caps grow up to 10 inches across and when fresh are soft and velvety, smoothing when mature and losing the velvety texture. The color of the cap can vary from cream to yellow, or green-yellow when fresh, transforming into rusty to dark brown as it ages. It is usually much more yellow and distinctive when young, turning entirely dark brown to black when mature. Caps will stain your hands when touched.
Various shades of yellow, orange, brown and green and be achieved using this mushroom depending on the age of the fruiting body and the type of mordant used. Depth of colour depends on type of fibres (silk/wool/plant), length of time in the dye bath and amount of dye stuffs (mushroom).
We are going to go out to the many forests in D&G to try and find more as the colour wasn’t as strong as we’d hoped, keep an eye on this blog post for updates.
This is a nontoxic yet inedible fungus as the flesh is too tough to eat.