Plant dyes have the longest application history and the widest application range in natural dyes. As early as the 25th century BC, India had dyed fibers with madder and bluegrass. At the same time, people living in Egypt and Mesopotamia in West Asia have also used plant dyes to dye fabrics and mastered the mordant dyeing technology of plant dyes, and have been able to dye yellow, red and green with plant dyes.

Dyeing with plant dyes was also called grass dyeing in ancient China. As early as the Xia Dynasty, bluegrass was used for dyeing. And artificial planting, mastered the growth law of blue grass. The dyeing of plant dyes has a whole set of techniques from the preparation of dyes to dyeing. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, especially during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the grass dyeing technology in China was quite mature. A mature management system has been formed in terms of varieties, collection, dyeing technology and the use of mordants. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties in China, the main grass dyes used were: bluegrass, madder, Arnebia euchroma, clover, soap bucket and so on. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the planting area and varieties of dye plants continued to expand. There is a large-scale operation. The gardenia and madder planted by individuals actually reached 1000 mu. By the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the preparation of plant dyes was quite complete and could be stored and used all the year round. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the planting, preparation and printing and dyeing techniques of dye plants reached their peak. In Qing Dynasty, plant dyes were not only self-sufficient, but also exported in large quantities.