Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: paul.fr on 11/09/2007 08:28:54

Title: Injecting flowers with food dye.
Post by: paul.fr on 11/09/2007 08:28:54
If i have a white flowering plant and inject it with, say red food dye. Will the petals turn red? If they will, will it just last until the dye has been used up, or will it be permanent?

Also, assuming the answer to the above is yes. If i have another plant that has red petals and i inject some green food dye, will it have blue petals?
Title: Injecting flowers with food dye.
Post by: WylieE on 11/09/2007 22:29:21
Hi Paul,
 It is easier than that, you can just soak the stem of a white flower in the dye and it will stain the petals.  It would probably be hard to get red, since the white will dampen it down a bit, but you can certainly get a dark pink.
Here are the instructions:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/youth/Carnations.shtml

Depending on how long the flower lives it may be permanent.  The dye that you would use in this experiment won't get used by the plant, but it will get washed out eventually, so if you soak the stem in water you will see it become fainter (although some color will probably remain the whole time your flower lives).

Colleen 


Title: Injecting flowers with food dye.
Post by: Karen W. on 11/09/2007 23:45:57
we used to pick Trillum and add color to a glass and color whole bouquets with them they were pretty!
Title: Injecting flowers with food dye.
Post by: WylieE on 12/09/2007 00:34:30
I love Trillium, they are so beautiful!  Do you ever see the red ones?
Title: Injecting flowers with food dye.
Post by: Karen W. on 12/09/2007 02:18:35
yep we have the white and red here in the woods next to my house.
Title: Injecting flowers with food dye.
Post by: WylieE on 12/09/2007 04:22:01
I think I'm going to try to come and visit you next spring. [:)]
Title: Injecting flowers with food dye.
Post by: Karen W. on 12/09/2007 04:25:26
LOL you would like trilliums but you would have to blaze some new trails as the briars are covering the bank of the woods! LOL! They are lovely.. I love them too. There used to be bluebells down there to, I wonder if you could add red food coloring to them to achieve a purple color, although I loved the blue!
Title: Injecting flowers with food dye.
Post by: paul.fr on 12/09/2007 14:58:04
Excellent, thank you Colleen
Title: Injecting flowers with food dye.
Post by: Karen W. on 12/09/2007 15:03:41
Hi Paul,
 It is easier than that, you can just soak the stem of a white flower in the dye and it will stain the petals.  It would probably be hard to get red, since the white will dampen it down a bit, but you can certainly get a dark pink.
Here are the instructions:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/youth/Carnations.shtml

Depending on how long the flower lives it may be permanent.  The dye that you would use in this experiment won't get used by the plant, but it will get washed out eventually, so if you soak the stem in water you will see it become fainter (although some color will probably remain the whole time your flower lives).

Colleen 




The only thing I have ever done differently is left the flower in the dye water, It retained its lovely color and we had some pretty red results perhaps because of longer exposure, I always added fresh water as the water went down, but never dumped out the colored water. It has been years ago, so I can't remember how long they lasted or anything but as a child it was quite fun!