Quebracho Red, extract

Description

Quebracho grows only in the jungles of the Gran Chaco, an area along the banks of the Paraguay River. The entire tree, bark to heartwood, has a distinctive red coloration, and the wood is quite heavy and extremely hard. The name is derived from the Spanish quebrar, to break, and hacha, an axe. It is quite slow growing, and therefore is harvested selectively from tree farms that participate in reforestation efforts. Quebracho has a long history as a tanning agent and as a dye. It is most suitable for dyeing cellulose fibers, but also performs well on silks, and yields a lovely pinkish peach to brown rose color.