Recently I've been thinking a bit about the origins of tartan and how -- not surprisingly -- regional/clan tartans were differentiated not only by pattern, but also by the natural dyes that were available in a given location.

That prompted me to wonder a bit about district tartans here in the US. It seems to me as though colors are chosen for their symbolism -- such as in the Bay State tartan shown below -- rather than for their natural connection to the land.

Massachusetts: The Bay State Tartan
Official District Tartan of Massachusetts



Designed by John Austin ~ Bolton, Massachusetts

Approved by The Massachusetts House of Representatives on May 1, 2003
Approved by the Massachusetts State Senate on May 8, 2003
Approved by Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney on May 16, 2003

Description

Blues: The Atlantic Ocean and all the Reservoirs, Rivers, and Ponds
Green: The Boston Hills, Worcester Hills, and the Berkshire Mountains
Tans: The long beach line, from the North Shore to the South Shore; Cape Cod, the Islands, and Buzzards Bay
Red: The apple and cranberry harvests
This subsequently got me to wondering what plants (or other sources of pigment) might be suitable if one wanted to design a district tartan -- for example, a new Massachusetts tartan -- using natural dyes that are native to the region. (I'd imagine you could get a very nice red from cranberries!)

I don't know anything about plants, dyeing, textiles, or local Native American culture (which would presumably be a good source of information), but figure X Marks is a such a great knowledge base, somone here must have some suggestions: What plants are indigenous to the region that might be suitable for dyeing wool for tartan? What sort of color palette would you wind up with?