Wolf lichen yellow
A bright yellow-green dye and poison from a shrubby lichen of western North America
No single value: Wolf lichen yellow is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, yellow.
Wolf lichen yellow comes from Letharia vulpina, a shrubby lichen with a vivid yellow-green colour. Found on conifer bark in western North America and Europe, it has been used by Native American groups as a dye and by others as a poison for wolves and foxes, due to its toxic pigment vulpinic acid.
- Bright yellow-green lichen found on conifer bark
- Used as a traditional dye by Native American groups
- Contains toxic vulpinic acid, once used to poison wolves
- Dye acts as a natural pesticide for wool
- Known to resume photosynthesis even at subzero temperatures
What colour is Wolf lichen yellow?
Wolf lichen yellow is a vivid yellow to yellow-green colour that comes from the lichen Letharia vulpina. The lichen itself is shrubby, highly branched, and grows on the bark of conifers. Its colour is striking, especially when fresh, but fades when dry. The pigment responsible for its colour is vulpinic acid, which also makes the lichen toxic to many mammals.
Where does Wolf lichen yellow come from?
The name 'wolf lichen' refers to its historic use as a poison for wolves, though the species name vulpina actually relates to foxes. Letharia vulpina was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 and later placed in its current genus. The lichen is native to western North America and parts of Europe, where it grows in forests on conifer bark.
How is Wolf lichen yellow made?
The yellow dye is obtained from the lichen Letharia vulpina, which contains vulpinic acid. Native groups would soak the lichen to extract its colour, using the liquid to dye wool, porcupine quills, and other materials. The dye also acts as a natural pesticide for woollen items.
Where Wolf lichen yellow is used
Wolf lichen yellow has been used by Native American peoples for dyeing textiles and basketry. The Tlingit people used it for the yellow in Chilkat blankets, and the Klamath used it to dye porcupine quills for baskets. Its bright fruiting bodies are also used in floral arrangements. Some Plateau Indian tribes used it in poultices and as a drink for medicinal purposes.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiThe national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.
Festival and celebrationPrideJoySource: Brazil national football teamShades and relatives of Wolf lichen yellow
Letharia columbiana is a similar lichen but lacks the reproductive structures isidia and soredia, and is less branched. Both can be confused, but only L. vulpina is used for dye and is highly toxic.
Questions people ask about Wolf lichen yellow
What colour is wolf lichen yellow?
Wolf lichen yellow is a bright yellow to yellow-green, sometimes called chartreuse, from the lichen Letharia vulpina.
Where does the name 'wolf lichen' come from?
The name comes from its historic use as a poison for wolves and foxes, though the species name vulpina refers to foxes.
How is the dye made from wolf lichen?
The lichen is soaked to extract a yellow pigment, vulpinic acid, which is then used to dye wool, basketry, and other materials.
Where is wolf lichen found?
It grows on the bark of conifers in western North America, especially the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains, and in parts of Europe.
Is wolf lichen safe to use?
Wolf lichen contains vulpinic acid, which is toxic to most mammals, so it must be handled with care.
Good reading and sources
- Letharia vulpina on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Letharia vulpina", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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