Maiden Hair: From Dye to Deficiency

While the day was still fresh, as I wandered across Warren Moor, a vivid expanse of orange-yellow caught my eye. The bog asphodel, with its star-like blooms, presented a scene of rare splendour. Singularly, these flowers might escape notice, but en masse, they transform the landscape. Never before have I witnessed such a display on the North York Moors.

In the 16th century, Lancashire maidens would gather bog asphodel from the moors, using its dye to tint their hair yellow. Would the Kildale lasses have done the same? A common name for this flower was “maiden hair,” and it was occasionally employed as a saffron substitute¹Mabey, Richard. “Flora Britannica”. Reed International Books Ltd. 1996. Pp 400..

The scientific name of bog asphodel includes “ossifragum,” meaning “bonebreaking.” This name arose because sheep grazing on the plant often developed brittle limbs, sometimes resulting in fractures. The true cause lies in the soil; bog asphodel thrives in areas deficient in mineral salts essential for bone strength. Lacking these salts, the sheep’s bones grew fragile and prone to breakage.

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  Mabey, Richard. “Flora Britannica”. Reed International Books Ltd. 1996. Pp 400.