Sassafras Root Bark, Cut (Sassafras albidum)
Botanical use only
$42.501/4 lb
Shredded Mimosa Hostilis Root Bark
Shredded Mimosa hostilis root bark in loose red-brown strands, the everyday working cut for natural dyers. Easy to strain, good for repeat baths, sold by the pound from 1/4 lb.
About Shredded Mimosa Hostilis Root Bark
What you get
Mimosa hostilis root bark torn into loose, fibrous strands, red-brown with paler tan threads running through it. This is the cut most natural dyers reach for first: it releases its color steadily, lifts out of the pot in one go, and leaves a bath clean enough to dye in without straining through cloth.
The plant is Mimosa tenuiflora, sold for decades as Mimosa hostilis, a thorny legume tree native to northeastern Brazil and southern Mexico, where it is known as jurema preta. Its root bark is unusually rich in tannins and red-purple pigments, which is why it has a place on the shelf of so many wool and leather workers.
Why dyers choose shredded bark
Control and economy. The strands give up color over a longer simmer, so the bath builds gradually and is easy to judge. When you lift the bark out, you can put it back into fresh water for a second and even a third bath, each a step paler than the last. That run of shades from one pound is the main reason shredded bark is the working cut. Getting a second and third bath from one batch shows what each exhaust bath looks like.
If you want color in a hurry, for test skeins or soap, the powder is quicker. If you want the most storable form and do not mind breaking it up, the whole chips and strips keep longest. The three cuts of Mimosa root bark compares all three.
What colors does shredded Mimosa hostilis give on wool and silk?
A first bath on unmordanted or alum-mordanted wool gives dusky rose, plum and red-brown. More bark per pound of fiber and a longer simmer carry it to burgundy and deep brown. An iron afterbath shifts the same bath to cool grey, slate and charcoal. See iron as a modifier, and how far to go.
Hold the bath neutral to slightly acidic to keep the purple tones; alkaline water pulls it toward brown. Keeping a bark bath purple instead of brown has the practical steps. Silk takes the color with a softer sheen than wool, and cotton and linen come out paler unless they are mordanted with tannin and alum first.
How much shredded bark per pound of fiber?
Weigh the bark against the dry fiber. A pale tint takes about 25 to 40 percent of the fiber's weight, a mid shade 50 to 75 percent, around 8 to 12 ounces of shredded bark to a pound of wool, and the deepest plums up to an equal weight. Because the same bark gives more than one bath, a pound of shredded bark goes further than its weight suggests. How much bark per pound of fibre has a worked table.
Mordanting first is optional on wool, but it brightens the color and helps it hold in daylight. Mordanting wool before a bark bath explains alum at the right strength.
Leather and larger projects
Tannin-rich barks have been used on leather for centuries, and Mimosa root bark is one of the richest. On vegetable-tanned leather it deepens the surface to warm browns and red-browns. Dyeing leather with bark covers the method.
For fleeces, yardage or a class, buy by the pound or ask for a bulk quote on the wholesale page.
Sizes, price and ordering
Sold by weight at one price per pound, in 1/4 lb, 1/3 lb, 1/2 lb and 1 lb sizes. The buy box shows the price for the size you choose, and that is what you are quoted. Parcel orders from 100 dollars ship free.
You place your order, a person checks it and sends payment details in your order chat, and ship from California with tracking once payment is confirmed. We ship to US addresses only. See the shipping policy. Every order is packed in a double-sealed, smell-proof bag that is flushed with nitrogen before it is closed: the nitrogen pushes the oxygen out, so the bark does not oxidize in transit or on your shelf and arrives as fresh as the day it was packed.
Storage and handling
Kept sealed, dry and out of the light, shredded bark holds its color for a long time. Dry it thoroughly before storing any bark you have already used once. Storing root bark so it lasts has more.
Wear gloves when handling a hot bath, keep dye pots separate from cooking pots, and keep the bark away from children and pets. This is raw botanical material for dyeing and craft. It is not food, not a supplement and not for human consumption.
Why buy Shredded Mimosa Hostilis Root Bark here
- The working cut for natural dyers: steady color release and a bath that is easy to judge.
- Lifts out cleanly and gives a second and third bath, so one pound goes further.
- Packed in double-sealed, smell-proof bags flushed with nitrogen to keep oxygen out, so the bark stays fresh.
- Four fixed sizes from 1/4 lb to 1 lb, with bulk pricing on request.
- Ships from California to US addresses, free on parcel orders from 100 dollars.
Sources
Specifications
- Botanical name
- Mimosa tenuiflora (syn. Mimosa hostilis)
- Also sold as
- MHRB, jurema preta bark, mimosa tenuiflora bark
- Family
- Fabaceae (legume family)
- Part
- Root bark
- Cut
- Shredded, loose fibrous strands
- Color in the bag
- Red-brown with tan fibers
- Sold by
- The pound: 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 lb
- Ships from
- California, to US addresses only
- Intended use
- Natural dyeing, leather work, craft
- Use restriction
- Not for human consumption
Lab testing and certificates
Every batch is tested before it is offered for sale, on a full panel rather than potency alone.
- Licensed resellers
- The official certificate is issued to licensed resellers on provision of a licence. Send it with your enquiry on the wholesale page and the full report for your batch comes back with your pricing.
- Everyone else
- The summary for your batch is issued to verified buyers on request, against the batch code printed on your package. Ask us on the contact page.
Before you decide
What this material is, how to read the report that comes with it, and what the law says where you are.
Guide
Mimosa Hostilis Root Bark: A Dyer's Handbook
Mimosa hostilis root bark is the inner bark of the root of Mimosa tenuiflora, a fast-growing tree of north-eastern Brazil and southern Mexico. Dyers buy it for one reason: it is unusually rich in tannin, and tannin on protein fibre gives purple. It is sold by the pound in three cuts.
GuideHow to Read a Certificate of Analysis for Root Bark
Check four things in this order: does the batch code on the report match the bag in your hand, when was it tested, is the laboratory accredited for those tests, and does the report cover species identity and contaminants such as heavy metals and microbes. A report that fails the first check describes different material.
GuideHow to Order Root Bark Here, and How Payment Works
You order here by sending a request, not a payment. A person checks the stock and your address, then sends payment details in your order chat and by email for the method you chose: Cash App, Chime, Apple Cash or Bitcoin. Once payment arrives, the bark is weighed, nitrogen-sealed and shipped from California with tracking.
Questions people ask
All questionsWhat is shredded Mimosa hostilis root bark used for?
Mainly natural dyeing: it gives rose, plum, burgundy and brown on wool and silk, grey to charcoal with an iron afterbath, and warm browns on vegetable-tanned leather. It is sold as raw botanical material for dyeing and craft and is not for human consumption.
Can I reuse shredded Mimosa hostilis bark for more than one dye bath?
Yes. Lift the bark out after the first bath and simmer it again in fresh water for a second bath, then a third. Each is paler than the last, which gives a matching run of shades from the same bark.
How much shredded bark do I need for a pound of wool?
About 50 to 75 percent of the dry fiber weight for a mid shade, which is 8 to 12 ounces for a pound of wool, or 25 to 40 percent for a pale tint. Deep plum takes up to an equal weight. Test a small skein first.
Why is my Mimosa hostilis dye bath turning brown instead of purple?
Usually because the water is alkaline or the bath has been held too hot for too long. Keep the bath neutral to slightly acidic and at a gentle simmer to hold the purple tones.
What is the difference between shredded, powder and whole root bark?
They are the same bark in different cuts. Powder releases color fastest and suits soap and small batches. Shredded is the everyday dyeing cut and gives repeat baths. Whole chips and strips store longest and are broken down before use.
How is the root bark packed?
In a double-sealed, smell-proof bag that is flushed with nitrogen before sealing. Nitrogen displaces the oxygen inside the bag, which stops the bark oxidizing, so the color and freshness hold in transit and in storage. Reseal the bag after each use to keep it that way.
Where does it ship from?
From California, to addresses in the United States only, with tracking once payment is confirmed. Parcel orders from 100 dollars ship free.
What is Mimosa hostilis root bark used for?
It is sold as raw botanical material for natural dyeing, soap color, leather work and craft. Dyers use it for rose, plum, burgundy and brown on wool and silk, and grey to charcoal with an iron afterbath. It is not food and it is not for human consumption; at checkout you confirm that is what you are buying it for, and that confirmation is stored with your order.
Should I buy powder, shredded or whole root bark?
Shredded for everyday dyeing: it strains cleanly and gives second and third baths from the same bark. Powder for test skeins, small batches and cold-process soap, because it releases color fastest. Whole chips and strips for stocking up, because they keep longest and can be broken or milled when you need them.
How much Mimosa hostilis do I need to dye a pound of wool?
Plan on 50 to 75 percent of the dry fiber weight for a mid shade, which is 8 to 12 ounces of bark per pound of wool, or 25 to 40 percent for a pale tint. Deep plum and burgundy take up to an equal weight of bark and fiber. Test a small skein first, because water and fiber change the result.
Do you offer bulk or wholesale pricing?
Yes. Root bark is priced by the pound in 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 lb sizes, and larger quantities for dye studios, soap makers, schools and resellers are quoted by a person. Use the bulk order page or email sales@mimosalsd.com with the cut and the quantity you need.
Do you ship to my state?
Yes. We ship to every US state and the District of Columbia, and your cart shows the delivery option and cost for your address before you order.
When do I pay for my order?
After a person has confirmed it. You place your order and choose a payment method; we check the stock and the address it is going to, then send payment details in your order chat on this site and by email. Your order is confirmed once payment arrives. We never ask for card details.
How old do I have to be to order?
You must be 21 or older. You confirm your age once, when you enter the site, and everything we sell is for adults 21 and over, whatever the product.
