Quercitron
A yellow dye made from the bark of the Eastern Black Oak tree
No single value: Quercitron is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, yellow.
Quercitron is a yellow dye that comes from the bark of the Eastern Black Oak, found in North America. Its name combines the Latin for oak and lemon, and it was introduced in the late 18th century. Quercitron was once widely used for colouring textiles and leather, and is known for its bright yellow shade.
- Made from Eastern Black Oak bark
- Introduced by Edward Bancroft in 1785
- Known as Dutch pink, English pink, and Italian pink
- Contains quercitrin and quercetin
- Used for dyeing textiles and leather
What colour is Quercitron?
Quercitron is a plant-based yellow dye, known for its vivid colour. It is produced from the bark of the Eastern Black Oak, a tree native to North America. The dye stands out for its bright, lemon-like yellow, which is different from other natural yellows. Its powder form is fine and yellow, and it was once a common choice for dyeing fabrics.
Where does Quercitron come from?
The word 'quercitron' comes from Latin roots for 'oak' and 'lemon'. Edward Bancroft introduced the name and secured exclusive rights to its trade in 1785. The dye is made by removing the dark outer bark, grinding the inner bark, and sifting it to collect the yellow powder. It was once called Dutch pink, English pink, or Italian pink.
How is Quercitron made?
To make quercitron dye, the black outer layer of the oak bark is removed. The remaining bark is ground in mills, then sifted to separate out fibres. The yellow powder left behind is the dye. Chemically, it contains quercitrin and quercitannic acid, and can yield quercetin, a bright yellow compound.
Where Quercitron is used
Quercitron was widely used in the past for colouring textiles and leather. In the mid-19th century, it was a staple in general stores and pharmacies in places like Iowa, alongside other dyes. Its strong yellow made it a popular choice for fabric dyeing.
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 Quercitron
Quercitron is related to other yellow dyes from plants, such as weld and fustic. Its main colouring agent, quercetin, is also found in other plants like buckwheat leaves and rose petals. It can be confused with other natural yellows, but its source and preparation set it apart.
Questions people ask about Quercitron
What colour is quercitron?
Quercitron produces a bright yellow shade, similar to the colour of a lemon. It stands out among natural yellow dyes for its vividness.
Where does the name quercitron come from?
The name combines the Latin words for 'oak' (quercus) and 'lemon' (citron), reflecting its source and colour. It was introduced by Edward Bancroft in the late 18th century.
How is quercitron dye made?
The dye is made by removing the black outer bark from the Eastern Black Oak, grinding the inner bark, and sifting out a fine yellow powder.
What was quercitron used for?
Quercitron was mainly used to dye textiles and leather. In the 1800s, it was commonly sold in general stores and pharmacies.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Quercitron", 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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