The products of Swans Island are created by combining dyes made from organic materials.

Osage orange
During the 1840’s, middle western farmers began to hear of a small thorny tree, native to the Arkansas River region, which could be grown in dense hedges to help contain their livestock. The large wrinkled green fruits from these trees are heavy and hard, and commonly known as “hedge apples” They are not edible. Because the Osage Indians were common in that region, the tree became known as the Osage Orange. Swans Island yellows come from the shavings of this tree.

Cochineal
Swan’s Island reds and pinks come from the crushed bodies of dried insects. The red coloring they produce is a defense mechanism designed to ward off predators. Cochineal bugs can be found on prickly pear cacti, in the southern US as well as Peru, Mexico, Canary Islands and Australia.

Indigo
The Indigo herb has been the source of Indigo Blue for thousands of years. The dye, called Indican, is produced as the leaves of the plant are fermented, exuding a rich paste which turns blue when exposed to air. This paste is processed into cakes and then finely ground into the powder used to make the dye. As well as producing a rich, deep blue, wild Indigo is said to help stimulate the immune system, and act as a mild antiseptic.