COLOURING
Dyes can be applied to fresh, dried or bleached ornamental plant parts in order to increase their
aesthetic value as per the changing seasons and fashions. Dyes are usually applied by immersion to
dried and bleached plant material .In Australian plants namely, Banksia hookeriana and Banksia prionotes,
inflorescence is commonly marketed after colouring. Dyeing of ornamental plant material is considered
much as an art. Accordingly, determining the optimum treatment protocol for a particular product is
often a matter of systemic trail and error. Immersion dyeing is improved by removing the waxy cuticle
with NaOH from dried plant material and by adding surfactants to improve the contact between the
dye bath solution and the plant material. In addition to dyeing, which is properly called staining the
plant material can also be coloured by painting and commonly silver or gold paint is used.