• North American Mycological Association

    Promoting, pursuing and advancing mycology

  • Asociación Micológica de América del Norte

    Perseguir y hacer avanzar la micología

  • Association Mycologique d'Amérique du Nord

    Poursuivre et faire progresser la mycologie

Mushrooms to Dye For

The following fungi have been tested and found to be useful for dyeing protein-based fibers. Those with stars (**) are especially sought after. Others will impart a color, but may not make strong or deep colors.

Note: some of these colors would require mordants no longer considered safe to use.

Amylocystis lapponica — pinkish beiges and browns 
Anthracophyllum lateritium — black 
Apiosporina morbosa — greyish beige, various browns 
Astraeus pteridis — various light browns 
Bankera  
  carnosa — See violacens.
  fuligineo-alba — light golden brown (with copper)
  violascens — light beiges, greys and greens
Boletellus mirabilis — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
Boletopsis 
  **grisea (AA) — green, grey-green, blue-green
  subsquamosa — dark greens, black 
Boletinellus merulioides — browns, orange
Boletus   
  aerius — See regineus.
  badius — See Royoporus badius.
  carminiporus — yellow-greens, yellows, brownish orange
  edulis — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
  ferrugineus (spadiceus) — beiges, golds and light browns
  hypocarycinus — See Suillus hypocarycinus.
  illudens — See Suillelius illudens.
  luridiformis — See Neoboletus luridiformis.
  miniato-olivaceus — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
  mirabilis — See Boletellus mirabilis.
  paluster — browns, orange
  piperatus — See Chalciporus piperatus.
  projectellus — yellows, oranges and browns
  regineus — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
  rubripes — See Caloboletus rubripes.
  sensibilis — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens 
  spadiceus — See ferrugineus.
  speciosus var. brunneus — See Butryboletus brunneus.
  subvelutipes — beiges and light browns
  tenax— beiges and golds
  zelleri — See Xerocomellus zelleri. 
Byssomerulios incarnatus — pinkish beiges, browns
Butryboletus brunneus — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
Caloboletus rubripes — beiges and light browns
Chalciporus 
  piperatus — various browns
  rubinellus — browns
Chroogomphus
  jamaicensis — various browns
  rutilus — various browns and orange
  vinicolor — various browns
Clavariadelphus 
  americanus — beige, light green, light yellow, greyish purple
  ligula — beige, light green, light brown, greyish purple 
  occidentalis — grey, beige, brown, purple
  pistillaris — See americanus. 
  truncatus — beiges, greyish purple
Collybia
  acervata — See Connopus acervatus.	
  iocephala — See Gymnopus iocephalus.
Connopus acervatus — beiges, yellow, brown
Coprinellus micaceus — beiges
Coprinopsis atramentaria — beige
Coprinus
  atramentarius — See Coprinopsis atramentaria.
  micaceus — See Coprinellus micaceus.
Cortinarius
  armillatus — beiges
  badius — beiges, browns
  bolaris — browns, greens
  brunneus — beiges
  californicus — pinks and purples
  cinnamomeus — browns
  corrugatus — beiges and yellows
  croceofolius — See malicorius.
  croceus — browns and golds
  herpeticus — See scaurus.
  limonius — yellows, oranges, browns
  malicorius — oranges
  **marylandensis — reds, purples
  neosanguineus — reds (AA)
  phoeniceus var. occidentalis — oranges, reds, purples
  **sanguineus — oranges, reds, browns, purples
  **semisanguineus — reds and purples
  scaurus — yellows, beiges
  smithii — reds, orange, violet (AA) 
  tubarius — beiges, orange, browns
  violaceus— greys, light browns
  whiteae — yellows, oranges, browns
Cystostereum murrayi — beiges, pinks
Daedalea quercina — beiges, light brown
Daedaleopsis confragosa— beiges, light brown
Daldinia 
  **concentrica — brown
  **grandis — greens, brown
Dibotryon morbosum — See Apiosporina morbosum. 
Echinodontium tinctorium — oranges, browns, purples
Fistulina hepatica — beiges, browns
Flammulina velutipes — beiges, light orange
Fomes
  fasciatus— browns
  fomentarius — browns, olive
Fuscoboletinus paluster — See Boletus paluster.
Ganoderma
  applanatum — beiges, browns
  curtisii — beiges, browns
  tsugae — See Polyporus tsugae.
Gloeophyllum
  sepiarium — beiges, golds, browns
  trabeum — beiges, golds, browns
Gomphidius
  glutinosus — browns
  subroseus — beiges, browns
Gomphus clavatus — greyish purple (with iron)
Gymnopilus
  junonius — yellow, orange, brown, olive 
  liquiritiae — golds, oranges, browns
  luteofolius — yellow, orange, brown, olive
  luteus — yellow, orange, brown, olive
  penetrans— gold, beige, orange, brown
  sapineus — yellow, orange, brown
  spectabilis — See junonius. 
  ventricosus — yellow, orange, brown
Gymnopus 
  acervatus — See Connopus acervatus.
  iocephalus — blues, purples, grey
Gyrodon merulioides — See Boletinellus merulioides.
Gyromitra
  esculenta — beiges, orange, brown
  infula — beiges, orange, brown
Gyroporus cyanescens — light yellow, beige, orange, gold
**Hapalopilus nidulans (rutilans) — purples, brown
Hebeloma mesophaeum — beige, yellow
Hemistropharia albocrenulata — yellow, beige
**Hydnellum
  aurantiacum — greys, greenish greys
  caeruleum — blues (some greenish), olive
  concrescens — browns
  diabolus — See peckii. 
  peckii — blues (some greenish), olive
  pineticola— greyish and bluish greens, gray, olive, greenish blue
  regium — black and greys (some greenish)
  scrobiculatum (var. zonatum) — See concrescens. 
  spongiosipes — blue, grey, olive
  suaveolens — greenish blues and browns
Hydnum
  fuligineoviolaceum — See Sarcodon fuligineoviolaceum.
  imbricatum — See Sarcodon imbricatus. 
  subincarnatum — blues from bluish beige to bluish green
Hygrocybe conica — browns, greens
Hypholoma
  aurantica — See Leratiomyces ceres.
  lateritium — yellow, beige, gold, greenish brown
  sublateritium — See lateritium.
  Hypomyces lactifluorum — oranges (pinks and browns with high pH)
Inocybe angustispora — pinks, browns
Inonotus
  **hispidus — golds, reddish browns, oranges
  obliquus — browns
  rheades — browns, orange
  tomentosus — See Onnia tomentosa. 
Ischnoderma
  benzoinum — browns
  resinosum — browns 
Lacrymaria lacrymabunda — pinkish browns
Lentinus — See Lenzites.
Lenzites betulina — beiges, golds, browns 
Leptoporus mollis — pinks, browns, red
Leratiomyces ceres — yellows, gold, olive, beige
Leucocoprinus birnbaumii — beige, yellow-brown, grey
Merulius 
  incarnates — See Byssomerulios incarnates.
  tremellosus — pinkish beiges, browns 
Neoboletus luridiformis — various beiges and browns 
Naematoloma 
  aurantiacum — See Leratiomyces ceres.
  sublateritium — See Hypholoma sublateritium.
Oligoporus sp. — See Postia sp.
Omphalotus olivascens — greyish purple, olive, blue-green, blackish brown
Onnia tomentosa — beige, browns, orange
Paxillus 
  **atrotomentosus — See Tapinella atrotomentosa.
  involutus — pinkish and greenish browns
  panuoides — See Tapinella panuoides. 
Peniophora quercina — beiges, pinks 
**Phaeolus schweinitzii — gold, orange, brown, olive
Phellinus
  chrysoloma — golds, oranges, browns
  everhartii — oranges, browns
  gilvus — browns, oranges
  robineae — oranges, browns
**Phellodon
  alboniger — See melaleucus. 
  atratus— dark blues and greens, greenish blue
  confluens — grey-browns, olive, bluish green
  melaleucus — — bluish grey and green, blues (some greenish), olive
  niger — greys, grey blue, grey green
  tomentosus — browns, beige
Phlebia
  incarnate — See Byssomerulios incarnate.
  tremellosa — See Merulius tremellosus.
Pholiota
  albocrenulata — See Hemistropharia albocrenulata. 
  aurivella — beiges, yellows, light brown
  flammans— yellow, oranges, brown, olive
  malicola — beiges, gold
  squarrosa — beiges, gold
  squarrosoides — yellow, browns, gold
  velaglutinosa — yellow, oranges, browns
Phylloporus
  leucomycelinus — beiges, gold
  pelletieri — beiges, gold
  rhodoxanthus — beiges, gold
**Pisolithus 
  arhizus — dark brown
  tinctorius — See arhizus.
Polyozellus multiplex — greys (blue and green), moss-green
Polyporus
  badius — beige, gold, olive
  elegans — See leptocephalus.
  leptocephalus — beige, gold, olive 
  melanopus — beige, browns
  picipes — See varius.
  tsugae — beiges, browns
  varius — beige, gold, olive
Polyrhizum (geaster) — browns 
Postia 
  caesia — beige, brown
  fragilis — beige, greenish brown
Psathyrella velutina — See Lacrymaria lacrymabunda.
Pulveroboletus ravenelii — yellows, gold, olive
Pycnoporellus fulgens — beige, orange, light brown
Pycnoporus
  cinnabarinus — See coccineus.
  coccineus — light to medium golden brown
  sanguineus — See coccineus.
Ramaria
  abietina — beiges, grey
  ochraceovirens — See abietina.
Royoporus badius — yellows, browns, oranges
Russula ventricosipes — light brownish orange, light yellow brown
**Sarcodon
  fuligineoviolaceus — blues (greenish to grey)
  fuscoindicus — blues (greenish to grey)
  imbricatus — beige, grey-greens, bluish grey
  joeides — beige, blue-greens, blue
  scabrosus — beige, blue (some greenish)
  subincarnatus — See Hydnum subincarnatum. 
  underwoodii — beige, blues, bluish green
Sarcodontia setosa — pinkish brown
Scleroderma 
  geaster — See Polyrhizum geaster.
  macrorhizon — browns (pinkish)
  meridionale — browns (pinkish) 
  polyrhizon — browns
Stereum
  murrayi — beiges, pinks
  tuberculosum — See Peniophora quercina. 
Stropharia ambigua — greenish greys and browns
Suillelius illudens — beiges and golds
Suillus
  americanus — beiges and browns 
  clintonianus — See grevillei. 
  cothurnatus — beige, brown, orange 
  granulatus — beige, brown, orange 
  grevillei — beige, browns, grey
  hypocarycinus — various beiges and browns
Tapinella 
  **atrotomentosa — purple, olive, dark blue, dark brown
  panuoides — purple grey, olive, greenish brown
Thelephora
  anthocephala — browns, grey-greens, black 
  palmata — browns, grey-greens, black
  terrestris — browns, grey-brown
  vialis — greenish greys and blues, bluish greys, olive
Trametes 
  hirsuta — greys, blues, greens
  pubescens — greys, blues, greens
  versicolor (blue form only) — greys, blues, greens
Tricholoma vaccinum — beige, yellow, brown
Tricholomopsis rutilans — yellow-browns
Tylopilus
  alboater — beige, browns from greenish to pinkish
  atronicotianus — beige, browns from greenish to pinkish
Xerocomellus zelleri — yellows, oranges and browns
List and color information adapted from The Rainbow Beneath My Feet, by Arleen and Alan Bessette, (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2001). Names updated April 2015 per Index Fungorum and MushroomObserver with invaluable assistance from Debbie Viess, who also provided additions from Mycopigments, the website maintained by Alissa Allen (AA).