I've got one better than that (Carmine) - it's what the English used to dye their military uniforms red in the days of Colonial America, giving them the name "Red Coats"
MADDER (Rubia tinctorum)
The roots are used to extract the dye. I have perennial plants that produce seeds annually. I used to sell the seeds online.
MADDER (Rubia tinctorum)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (by Nick Rowlette)
about the seeds and the cultivation of the plants:
The Madder seeds were harvested in 2009 from my own plants, so the seeds are fresh and will readily germinate without difficulty. The most recent germination tests were made in March and April of 2010. There are no special requirements for germination of the seeds. Moist chilling (stratification) of the seeds prior do germination is not necessary. The seeds will germinate in darkness (exposure to light is not necessary). The optimum temperature for germination is approximately 70 F degrees, although the seeds are capable of germination at lower temperatures (I have not tested for low temperature germination). For stratified seeds, which have been moistened and chilled at approximately 38 F degrees for 7 days prior to sowing, the resulting rate of germination was 60% (March/April 2010). For seeds which were NOT stratified prior to sowing, the germination rate was 80% + (March/April 2010). The test period was 10 days, and the germination rates were noted at that time.
These germination tests were performed in an artificial environment (inside of a greenhouse with temperature maintained at approximately 70 F degrees), so in a natural environment where the seeds are sown in garden soil and exposed to the weather, the germination rate and the number of days from sowing to emergence of the seedlings will vary.
I originally obtained my Madder seeds from Richters, Goodwood, Ontario (www.richters.com) in the mid-1980's and raised several plants. The seeds which are listed here have been collected from those plants.
AFTER THE SEEDS GERMINATE:
For optimum growth of the seedlings, and especially for the plants in the later stages of growth, constant attention should be given to make sure that the stems (which have a growth habit similar to vines) have support to keep them growing in a vertical position, rather than to let them just ramble over the ground (or soil medium) in a horizontal position.
When you germinate the seeds, have something ready to support the stems at the very earliest stages of growth, such as a number of thin bamboo sticks (or wooden skewers, or wooden chopsticks which have been split into thin sections) and insert these into the ground (or growing medium) among the seedlings. Keep constant attention to this (adding additional longer sticks) as they grow, and you will have an ideal environment for the growth of the plants.
For larger plants (in the following years), provide an artificial thicket for the plants by cutting some long willow, alder, or young limbs from similar trees, and form them into a thicket over and among the Madder plants. The ends of the limbs (which should be dead wood, without foliage) can be sharpened to a point and poked into the ground, and the tops can be tied together with cord. Try to obtain at least 5 ft. tall limbs for the first year of the plants growth, using small twigs at first, then progressing on to longer limb sections as needed, depending on how fast the plants are growing. The plants will grow very quickly if there is always something long enough for the stems to cling to. If the stems are just allowed to ramble in a horizontal position, the rate of growth will be much less. In this respect, Madder is similar in growth habit to young grape plants.
The stems and leaves of the Madder plants are covered with extremely small and numerous spiny structures which they use to adhere to a rough surface in a clinging manner. Artificial supports such as wire, metal or plastic are not recommended to support the stems, since these materials are too smooth to allow the stems and leaves to cling to them. The natural environment for this plant seems to be a fairly dense thicket of old dead woody material from which the shoots of the plants can emerge in the early spring (Madder dies back naturally during the fall/winter, and new shoots emerge in late winter/early spring). Old established plants need from 8 to 10 feet of some material (stakes, fence, wall, etc.) to adequately support the long stems so they won't be broken off by heavy rains and strong winds.
So glad you both are pleased with them. That's a great list Nick. As time goes on you may want to think about trading offsets with others so you can futher build your collection.There are so many more to choose from in all shapes, sizes, and colors The yellows and oranges are my favorites but they will not grow in SC. They do however seem to like OR so you may want to check some of those out. 
NickyNick
