Walnut
A brown dye and ink made from the husk of the walnut fruit
No single value: Walnut is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, brown.
Walnut is a brown colouring substance made from the husk of the walnut fruit, which comes from trees of the genus Juglans. The dye and ink from walnut husks have been used for fabric, hair, and writing, and are known for their lasting, rich brown tone.
- Walnut husks make a lasting brown dye and ink
- Artists like Leonardo da Vinci used walnut ink
- The dye can stain hands and skin
- Used for fabric, hair, and writing since ancient times
What colour is Walnut?
Walnut dye is a brown colouring agent made from the outer husk of the walnut fruit. The dye produces a deep, lasting brown that can stain hands and skin. It is used for colouring fabric, making ink, and was once used for dyeing hair. The colour stands out for its earthy, warm brown tone, which is rich and natural compared to synthetic browns.
Where does Walnut come from?
The dye comes from the husk that surrounds the shell of the walnut, a fruit from trees in the Juglans genus. Walnuts have been grown in regions including Iran, China, and North America. The name 'walnut' has Germanic roots, with 'wal' meaning foreign. In the past, the walnut was sometimes called the 'royal nut'.
How is Walnut made?
To make walnut dye or ink, the husks of the walnut fruit are collected, usually after the fruit has ripened and the husk has become brittle. The husks are then soaked or boiled in water to extract the brown pigment, which contains natural chemicals such as juglone and polyphenols. This liquid can be used directly as a dye or ink.
Where Walnut is used
Walnut dye has been used for colouring textiles and hair, and for making ink for writing and drawing. Artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt are thought to have used walnut ink. In classical Rome and medieval Europe, it was a common hair dye. The dye is valued for its durability and rich brown shade.
Brown around the world
What the brown family means from country to country.
Brown is the colour of Nazism in German political speech, after the brown shirts of the party's stormtroopers. To call a view "brown" is to call it far right.
Politics and protestDanger and warningShameSource: SturmabteilungMasi is bark cloth beaten from paper mulberry and printed in brown and black. It is worn at weddings and funerals and given in ceremonial exchanges.
Sacred and holyWeddings and marriageSource: Tapa clothKuntunkuni is a dark brown mourning cloth of the Asante, dyed with tree bark. Adinkra cloth, stamped with symbols, was first made on such dark grounds for funerals.
Mourning and deathSadnessSource: Adinkra symbolsThe batik of the Javanese courts at Yogyakarta and Surakarta is dyed in soga brown with indigo and cream. Some court patterns were once reserved for the royal family.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: BatikBogolanfini, or mud cloth, is cotton painted with fermented river mud in browns, black and white. Hunters wear it for protection, and women after childbirth.
Protection and healingSacred and holySource: BògòlanfiniShades and relatives of Walnut
The colour from walnut husks can range from light to dark brown, depending on how concentrated the dye is. Different species of walnut, such as Persian, black, and Japanese walnut, may give slightly different shades. The dye is sometimes confused with other natural brown dyes, but is known for its lasting stain.
Questions people ask about Walnut
What colour is walnut dye?
Walnut dye produces a deep, earthy brown colour, which can vary from light to dark brown depending on how it is prepared.
Where does the name 'walnut' come from?
The name 'walnut' comes from a Germanic word meaning 'foreign nut', and the tree is native to regions such as Iran and China.
What is walnut dye made from?
Walnut dye is made from the outer husk of the walnut fruit, which contains natural brown pigments.
How has walnut dye been used?
It has been used to dye fabric and hair, and to make ink for writing and drawing, including by famous artists.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Walnut", 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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