Mulch Colors: Black vs Brown vs Red, Dyes, Fading, Safety and Price

Key takeaways

• Price: across 19 supply yards checked Oct. 30, 2026, dyed black mulch had a median posted price of $43.47 a cubic yard, brown $42.95, red $44 and undyed mulch $40; at the 16 yards selling both, dye added a median $7 a yard. 8 of 11 yards that sell black and red charge the same for both (GIR price list, CSV).
• Dye chemistry: the Mulch and Soil Council’s colorant review covered iron oxide (red) and carbon black and found “no significant areas of concern” with either at label rates (MSC colorant review, 2006 to 2007).
• Wood source is the real risk: in Florida tests, 18 of 22 recycled construction-wood samples leached arsenic above the 50 µg/L groundwater limit, and under 0.1 percent CCA-treated wood can push mulch past Florida’s residential soil guideline (Townsend et al., 2003).
• Heat: an LSU AgCenter trial of shredded mulch dyed black, brown and red found soil temperatures 8 cm down “effectively equivalent” across colors; color changed peak temperatures only in the mulch surface (Abdi, Hickman and Fields, ASHS 2024).
• Fade: no independent trial has timed dyed mulch fading by color. The dated numbers are maker terms, such as Scotts’ 1-year ColorGuard guarantee, and a University of Florida trial where undyed mulches had weathered to gray between June and October (Scotts; Stinson et al., 1990).

What mulch colors can you buy?

Dyed wood mulch is sold in three colors that make up nearly the whole market: black, brown and red. A colorant supplier’s October 2025 talk to the Mulch and Soil Council says “the colored mulch industry is dominated by red, brown, and black” (MSC 2025 annual meeting deck). Undyed hardwood, cedar, cypress and pine bark supply the natural browns.

The order of popularity has shifted. The same deck dates colored mulch to landscaping trade shows in the late 1980s, says red rose first in the 1990s and is now used mostly on commercial properties, and says brown became “the top choice by 2017”. Black is the newest of the three: KDCO in Minnesota still describes its black as “one of the newest colors to the mulch family” (KDCO price list, Oct. 30, 2026).

Color	Colorant	Common product names	What the base wood usually is	Source
Black	Carbon black (elemental carbon)	Black Colorized, Forest Black, Midnight Black, Scotts Nature Scapes Black	Shredded hardwood, pine and spruce, or reprocessed pallet wood	MSC; T.W. Nickerson
Brown	Blended shades; T.W. Nickerson lists a carbon dye in its dyed brown	Chocolate, Dark Walnut, Triple Ground Brown	Same feedstock as black	KDCO; T.W. Nickerson
Red	Iron oxide (rust-colored pigment)	Bright Red, Ruby Red, Standard Red	Same feedstock; a Colorbiotics slide shows one red reading differently on pallet, pine, cedar and hardwood	MSC; Colorbiotics slide
Undyed brown	None	Natural, Double Ground, Triple Grind hardwood	Bark and wood, grays as it weathers	UF, 1990
Natural red-brown	None	Cedar, cypress, redwood bark	Single species	cedar; cypress

Volume grew 85-fold in 28 years. Amerimulch’s estimate, presented at the same meeting, puts U.S. colored mulch production at 711,000 cubic yards in 1995, 31.2 million in 2009 and 60.3 million in 2023, with 60 percent sold in bulk and 40 percent in bags. Growth flattened after 2015 at about 54 to 60 million yards a year.

Source: Amerimulch, Colored Mulch Insights, Mulch and Soil Council annual meeting, Oct. 2, 2025 Industry estimate; survey method not published.

Show the numbers

	Colored mulch produced
1995	0.71
2000	4.70
2003	8.44
2005	16.67
2009	31.21
2012	42.92
2015	55.52
2017	53.88
2020	55.90
2023	60.30

Year	Colored mulch produced (cubic yards)
1995	711,000
2000	4,704,000
2003	8,439,000
2005	16,665,000
2009	31,205,000
2012	42,918,000
2015	55,519,000
2017	53,877,000
2020	55,897,000
2023	60,300,000

What are mulch dyes made of?

Mulch dyes are water-based pigment coatings, not stains that soak in. Red is iron oxide, the pigment used in cosmetics and paint; black is carbon black, which the Mulch and Soil Council calls “virtually pure elemental carbon” (MSC FAQ); T.W. Nickerson describes its Forest Black as wood “mixed with a carbon dye” (T.W. Nickerson). Browns are blended shades.

Producers spray the colorant with water onto ground wood in a drum or auger colorizer, at roughly 1.5 to 3.25 pounds per cubic yard. The application rate rises with the share of fines, particles 1/4 inch and smaller, because fine material has more surface to cover. Colorbiotics, a Sika brand, calculated 2,029 square feet of surface in a yard of 2-inch chips and 11,664 square feet in a yard of 1/2-inch fines, and its table below ties fines content to colorant, water and wet weight (MSC 2025 deck, Colorbiotics slides).

Fines in the wood (1/4 in and smaller)	Colorant per cubic yard	Water per cubic yard	Wet weight per cubic yard	Yards per 42,000 lb truckload
10%	1.5 lb	14 gal	398 lb	105
30%	1.75 lb	15 gal	405 lb	104
50%	2 lb	17 gal	426 lb	99
70%	2.5 lb	20 gal	451 lb	93
90%	3.25 lb	23 gal	476 lb	88

Iron oxide is an imported input. The deck states that 100 percent of synthetic iron oxide supplied to the United States is imported and walks through the duties on Chinese pigment as of October 2025: a 3.7 percent statutory rate, a 25 percent Section 301 tariff and a 20 percent IEEPA tariff, taking $1.00 a pound to $1.487 before freight. Tariff rates on Chinese goods have been revised since, so treat that as a dated example.

Input	Value	Source
Colorant at 10% fines	1.5 lb per cubic yard	Colorbiotics, MSC 2025
Colorant at 90% fines	3.25 lb per cubic yard	Colorbiotics, MSC 2025
Imported Chinese iron oxide after duties, Oct. 2025 example	$1.487 per lb before freight	MSC 2025 tariff slide
Upper bound if all colorant were pure pigment	1.5 × $1.487 = $2.23 to 3.25 × $1.487 = $4.83 per yard	GIR arithmetic
Median red premium over black at yards that charge one	$3 (Remington, Cummin); $6 (Got Mulch)	GIR price list

Carbon black has one caveat buyers find online. The International Agency for Research on Cancer lists carbon black in Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans, based mainly on rats that inhaled it as dust (IARC Monograph 93). That evaluation rests on inhaled dust, the exposure route in carbon black plants; MSC’s review says occupational studies over 60 years show no increased risk to exposed workers and calls carbon black non-toxic.

Is dyed mulch safe, or is the wood the problem?

The documented hazard in colored mulch is arsenic from chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated lumber, not the dye. CCA was the standard deck and fence preservative until manufacturers stopped making it for homeowner uses in December 2003, and EPA says wood treated with it “should not be reused in products such as mulch” (EPA, chromated arsenicals).

Dye matters because, as Florida researchers put it, coloring agents opened the mulch market to discarded wood that was unwanted for its color. University of Florida and University of Miami engineers tested mulch made from construction and demolition (C&D) debris in 2003. Eighteen of 22 facility samples leached arsenic above Florida’s 50 µg/L groundwater cleanup level, averaging 153 µg/L with a maximum of 558, and one of two red-colored retail mulches leached 65.4 µg/L (Townsend et al., Sci. Total Environ. 309, 2003).

1. Red C&D mulch, recycling yard164
2. C&D debris wood, mean153
3. Red retail mulch 265.40
4. Florida groundwater limit50
5. Red retail mulch 15
6. Pine bark and cypress5

Source: Townsend et al., Sci. Total Environ. 309 (2003), Table 3 Red retail mulch 1 and pine bark/cypress were below the 5 µg/L detection limit and are drawn at 5.

Show the numbers

	Arsenic in SPLP leachate
Red C&D mulch, recycling yard	164
C&D debris wood, mean	153
Red retail mulch 2	65.40
Florida groundwater limit	50
Red retail mulch 1	5
Pine bark and cypress	5

Sample (Florida, 1997 to 2001)	Mean leachable arsenic (µg/L)	Above 50 µg/L?	Source
Red-colored C&D wood mulch from a recycling yard (site N, 1999)	164	Yes	Townsend 2003, Table 3
C&D debris wood from recycling facilities (1997)	153	Yes (18 of 22 samples)	Townsend 2003
Red-colored retail mulch 2 (wood source not labeled)	65.4	Yes	Townsend 2003, Table 3
Red-colored retail mulch 1	Under 5 (not detected)	No	Townsend 2003, Table 3
Pine bark and cypress retail mulch (virgin wood)	Under 5 (not detected)	No	Townsend 2003, Table 3
Florida groundwater cleanup target level	50	Threshold	Townsend 2003

A 2007 follow-up sampled consumer mulch across Florida. Most colored mulch made from recycled C&D wood contained 1 to 5 percent CCA-treated wood, up to 15 percent, and the highest arsenic reading was 230 mg/kg against a 2.1 mg/kg residential guideline; undyed mulch with no sign of C&D wood never leached above 50 µg/L (Jacobi et al., Waste Management, 2007).

Iron oxide red pigment binds some arsenic. In a 1-year field test, colorant cut arsenic leaching by more than 20 percent on average, and by 50 percent in the lab test, but the authors warn the effect may not last (Shibata et al., Environ. Sci. Technol., 2006). The fix is clean feedstock, not a particular color.

How can you tell what wood is in a bag of colored mulch?

Read the ingredient statement and look for the Mulch and Soil Council (MSC) certification logo. MSC’s guidelines require any product with recycled wood to say so, for example “Contains Reprocessed Wood and Colorant”, while virgin wood reads “Natural Forest Products and Colorant” (MSC ingredient statement guidelines). Certified mulches must also pass lab testing for CCA.

Recycled wood is legal and common. Amerimulch’s 2025 estimate splits colored mulch fiber into 60 percent land-clearing, green-waste and tree-company chips, 25 percent sawmill residuals and bark, and 15 percent pallet fiber. MSC’s draft 2026 guidelines allow pallet and C&D wood only if it was never treated, stained or painted, and they bar CCA outright (MSC UVPG 2026 draft, definitions and item 11).

1. Find the ingredient line on the bag. “Natural Forest Products” means virgin wood; “Reprocessed Wood” or “and/or Reprocessed Wood” means pallets or other recycled wood may be in it (MSC guideline SUIP #3, 2018).
2. Check for the MSC Certified logo, then confirm the product on the council’s current certified mulch list (MSC certification page). Since 2025 a separate “Certified All-Natural” logo marks products meeting the stricter CANM guideline.
3. For bulk mulch, ask the yard two questions: what the colored product is ground from, and whether incoming wood is screened for treated lumber. Write down the answer with the date.
4. Look at a handful before you spread it. Florida researchers found colorant and visible plywood chips were effective first screens for C&D wood (Jacobi et al., 2007).
5. For vegetable beds or play areas, pick a product labeled Natural Forest Products, or skip dye. Scotts, for example, states that Nature Scapes Color Enhanced Mulch “never uses recycled waste wood” and is free of construction debris and pallet wood (Scotts product page).

One limit is printed on MSC’s own page: “MSC product certification does not apply to color claims.” The logo speaks to what is in the bag and to CCA testing, not to how long the color lasts. Binders that stop mulch from washing off slopes are a separate product with their own labels; our mulch glue guide covers them.

Does black mulch heat the soil more than brown or red mulch?

At the surface, yes; a few inches down, the one trial of dyed wood mulch found almost no difference. LSU AgCenter researchers built 21 plots at the Hammond Research Station, 18 of them mulched, with shredded mulch dyed black, brown or red at 5 cm and 10 cm, logging temperature every 30 minutes through spring and summer (ASHS 2024 abstract).

They report that “subsurface temperatures were effectively equivalent between all mulched plots” at the base of the bed mix, 8 cm (about 3 inches) down. Surface temperatures did differ: thinner layers swung more, and color “influenced peak temperatures”. Light reaching the soil was cut equally by every color and depth. The abstract does not publish the degree values.

Study	What was tested	Finding	Applies to dyed wood mulch?	Source
LSU AgCenter, 2024	Shredded mulch dyed black, brown, red at 5 and 10 cm	Soil 8 cm down effectively equal across colors; surface peaks differ by color and depth	Yes	Abdi et al., ASHS 2024
Fortnum et al., 1997, cited in J. Nematology 2000	Black vs white polyethylene film over tomato beds	Soil under black film 8 °C (14 °F) warmer at 5 cm at solar noon	No: plastic film transmits heat directly	J. Nematology 32(1)
Hartin, UC Cooperative Extension, 2021 to 2022	Surface readings in Coachella Valley, May to August	Black dyed mulch, synthetic lawn and asphalt surfaces up to 65 °F hotter than plant surfaces	Surface only	UC ANR, 2022; Hartin, 2021
Scotts label directions	Depth for Nature Scapes	Spread 3 inches deep; keep it several inches from trunks and foundations	Yes	Scotts

In practice, depth decides root-zone temperature more than color does. Hot surface mulch matters for the stems and crowns that touch it and for bare feet and paws, which is why UC’s Janet Hartin advises against black dyed chips in desert yards. For the soil temperatures that trigger germination and planting, see our soil temperature for planting guide.

How fast does each mulch color fade?

No independent trial has timed dyed mulch fading by color, so month-by-month fade charts online are estimates. The dated figures that exist are maker guarantees, about 12 months for color-enhanced bags, and field records of undyed mulch graying. Scotts guarantees Nature Scapes color “for a year with ColorGuard” and says to keep it dry for 24 hours after spreading (Scotts).

Claim you will see	What a primary source shows	Verdict	Source
Black fades in 6 to 12 months, red in 8 to 14, brown lasts 1 to 2 years	No published trial measures these intervals; Scotts guarantees its Nature Scapes colors for the same 1 year	Unsupported	Scotts guarantee
Brown holds color longest because its colorant resists sun	MSC lists color duration as varying with wood species, exposure and decomposition, and certifies no color claim	Unsupported	MSC certification page
Undyed mulch grays within a season	15 mulch materials laid in Florida in June had mostly weathered gray by October	Supported	Stinson et al., Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 103, 1990
Dyed mulch lasts longer than natural mulch	Red-dyed maple and poplar mulch lost about 23 percent of its dry weight in 2 years, in the fastest-decomposing group of 7 mulches	False for the wood	Maggard et al., HortTechnology 22(3), 2012
Black mulch warms the soil	Subsurface temperatures equal across black, brown and red dyed mulch	Surface only	LSU AgCenter, 2024
Red mulch is cheapest	Red was equal to or $3 to $6 a yard above black at 11 yards selling both	False	GIR price list

The table below is a timeline of what is documented, from spreading day to year 2. Fade speed beyond these points depends on sun hours and the wood under the dye, which the bag rarely names.

When	What is documented	Source
Day 0 to 1	Keep color-enhanced mulch dry for 24 hours for longest color	Scotts
Months 0 to 5	Undyed mulches spread in June had mostly weathered to gray by October in Gainesville, Fla.	Stinson et al., 1990
0 to 2,000 hours of weathering	Undyed screened mixed hardwood goes from brown to pale gray in Colorbiotics test photos	MSC 2025 deck
Month 12	End of the color guarantee on Scotts Nature Scapes	Scotts
Year 2	Red-dyed maple and poplar mulch down about 23 percent in dry weight	Maggard et al., 2012
12 years	Color guarantee typical of painted rubber mulch, which does not decompose	our rubber mulch page

Faded beds rarely need a full new layer. Our mulch quantity guide explains why a bed that still measures 2 to 3 inches can be raked to bring up darker mulch, and why topping up for color alone builds depth that smothers roots.

Does dyed mulch stain concrete or hurt pets?

Makers publish no staining data; the instruction they do give is to keep fresh color-enhanced mulch dry, and Scotts says to keep Nature Scapes dry for 24 hours after spreading. Until then, rain or sprinklers can carry loose colorant onto pavement, so sweep spilled mulch off walks and driveways before you water and hose the pavement after the 24-hour window.

For pets, the dyes are not the documented hazard. MSC’s 2006 to 2007 committee found no acute toxicity for carbon black or iron oxide (MSC FAQ). The mulch with a documented dog-poisoning record is cocoa shell mulch, which is naturally dark brown and contains theobromine and caffeine.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reviewed cocoa mulch cases from January 2002 to April 2003: in 6 well-documented dogs, 50 percent vomited and 33 percent developed tremors (National Capital Poison Center summary). For dogs that chew wood, the hazards that apply to every color are swallowed splinters and, in full sun, dark surfaces that UC ANR measured up to 65 °F hotter than nearby plants.

How much more does colored mulch cost by color?

Very little, and usually nothing between colors: at 19 supply yards checked Oct. 30, 2026, the median pickup price was $40 a cubic yard for undyed mulch, $43.47 for black, $42.95 for brown and $44 for red. At the 16 yards selling both, dye added a median $7 a yard, from $0 at Plaisted in Minnesota to $16.05 at Sequoia in California; BioGrass in Utah charged $12 more for undyed (Plaisted; Sequoia; BioGrass).

1. Undyed40
2. Black43.47
3. Brown42.95
4. Red44

Source: GIR price list from seller pages, Oct. 30, 2026 Pickup prices before delivery and tax. Yards listing: undyed 17, black 18, brown 13, red 12.

Show the numbers

	Median per cubic yard
Undyed	40
Black	43.47
Brown	42.95
Red	44

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Supply yard	Location	Undyed	Black	Brown	Red
Got Mulch	Long Island, NY	$20	$29	$29	$35
Kirk Allen Landscape Supply	Stanhope, NJ	$25.50	$37.50	$37.50	$37.50
Conestoga Stone	southeastern Pa., PA	$28.95	$37	$37	Not listed
T.W. Nickerson	Cape Cod, MA	$40	$41	$45	Not listed
Remington Mulch	northern Virginia, VA	$30	$42	$40	$45
Piedmont Landscape Materials	Concord, NC	$35	$44	$44	$44
Cummin Landscape Supply	Atlanta area, GA	Not listed	$42	$42	$45
Mulch Center	Deerfield, IL	$45	$51	$51	$51
Mr. Mulch	Columbus, OH	$52	$54	Not listed	Not listed
McCarty Mulch & Stone	Indianapolis, IN	$32.50	$42	$42	$42
Plaisted Companies	Elk River, MN	$42.95	$42.95	$42.95	$42.95
KDCO	Medina, MN	$35.99	$43.99	$43.99	$43.99
Farr’s Landscape Supply	Nolanville, TX	$45	$50	Not listed	$50
Bedrock Landscaping Material	Denver area, CO	$44	$49	$49	$49
Cheaper Than Dirt Landscape Supply	Belton, TX	$50	$55	Not listed	Not listed
BioGrass	Salt Lake City area, UT	$58	$46	$46	Not listed
Sequoia Landscape Materials	Santa Rosa, CA	$44.95	$61	Not listed	Not listed
Gaston Mulch	Gainesville area, FL	$22	Not listed	Not listed	$28
Southridge Farm & Nursery	Walpole, MA	Not listed	$39	Not listed	Not listed
Median		$40.00	$43.47	$42.95	$44.00
Middle half		$30 to $45	$41 to $49.75	$40 to $45	$40.88 to $46
Yards listing		17	18	13	12

Red carried a premium at only 3 of the 11 yards that sell black and red: $6 at Got Mulch on Long Island, $3 at Remington Mulch in Virginia and $3 at Cummin Landscape Supply near Atlanta. Brown and black matched everywhere except Remington, where brown was $2 cheaper, and T.W. Nickerson, whose $45 brown is a finer triple grind than its $41 black.

Seller	Bag size	Undyed bag	Dyed bag	Difference per bag	Difference per cubic yard
Remington Mulch (VA)	3 cu ft	$7.50 (Bagged Wood Mulch (undyed))	$8.50 (Bagged Black, Brown or Red Colorized Mulch)	$1	$9
Mr. Mulch (OH)	2 cu ft	$5 (Natural Brown Double Shredded Bark Hardwood)	$5.40 (Dyed Black Double Shredded Wood Hardwood)	$0.40	$5.40
Mr. Mulch (OH)	1.5 cu ft	$4.95 (Natural Brown Triple Shredded Hardwood)	$5.40 (Dyed Black Triple Shredded Hardwood)	$0.45	$8.10

Use the calculator to compare colors for your own bed. It multiplies area by depth and by the middle-half price range for each color; the default is 200 square feet at 3 inches.

Bed area (sq ft)Color and how you buy itUndyed bulk ($30 to $45 a cu yd)Black bulk ($41 to $49.75 a cu yd)Brown bulk ($40 to $45 a cu yd)Red bulk ($40.88 to $46 a cu yd)Dyed bags ($72.90 to $97.20 a cu yd)Undyed bags ($67.50 a cu yd)Depth3 in (new bed)2 in1 in (top-up)4 in

Material cost before delivery and tax$55 to $85

Cubic yards = area × depth in inches ÷ 324. Bulk ranges are the middle half of posted prices at 19 supply yards, Oct. 30, 2026; bag prices from Remington Mulch and Mr. Mulch.

Worked example: 200 sq ft at 3 in	Volume	Price used	Material cost
Undyed bulk	1.85 cu yd (200 × 3 ÷ 324)	$40 median	$74.07
Brown bulk	1.85 cu yd	$42.95 median	$79.54
Black bulk	1.85 cu yd	$43.47 median	$80.50
Red bulk	1.85 cu yd	$44 median	$81.48
Dyed bags, 3 cu ft	17 bags (50 cu ft ÷ 3, rounded up)	$8.50 a bag (Remington)	$144.50
Undyed bags, 3 cu ft	17 bags	$7.50 a bag (Remington)	$127.50

On a typical 200-square-foot bed, choosing red over black costs about $1 in bulk and choosing any dye over undyed about $5 to $7. Delivery, bag size and spreading labor move the bill far more; our mulch cost guide covers those by type and region.

Which mulch color goes best with your house?

Pick for contrast with the wall behind the bed and the leaves in it. No study ranks mulch colors against house colors, so the table is editorial: it applies the simple rule that a bed reads clearly from the street when mulch and siding differ in lightness, and red-on-red brick does not.

House exterior	Editorial pick	Why	Trade-off
White, light gray, pale stone	Black	Highest light-dark contrast; green foliage and white flowers stand out	Hottest surface; shows dust and faded patches
Red or orange brick	Black or dark brown	Red mulch is close in hue to the brick and blurs the bed line	Dark brown hides fading best
Tan, beige, cream, buff brick	Dark brown or red	Brown reads natural; red adds contrast	Red shows wear first on walk edges
Navy, charcoal, dark green siding	Medium brown or undyed	Black disappears against dark siding	Undyed grays within a season
Natural wood, log or cedar siding	Undyed hardwood, cedar or cypress	Matches the wood’s own color as both weather	No color guarantee
Vegetable beds, play areas	Undyed, labeled Natural Forest Products	Avoids recycled-wood uncertainty	Color is not the point here

Which mulch color should you choose?

Start with the wood, then the color. Decide what the bag must be made of for where it goes, then pick black, brown or red for contrast, then check whether red carries a premium at your yard. The table and flowchart below hold the same rules.

If your situation is	Do this	Why (source)
Vegetable bed, fruit trees or a play area	Buy undyed mulch or a dyed product labeled Natural Forest Products	Colored C&D mulch held 1 to 5 percent CCA wood in Florida tests (Jacobi 2007)
Bag says “Reprocessed Wood and Colorant” and has no MSC logo	Ask the seller for CCA test results or choose another product	MSC certified mulch must pass CCA testing (MSC)
Bulk dyed mulch of unknown origin	Ask what it is ground from and whether treated lumber is screened out	Under 0.1 percent CCA wood exceeds Florida’s residential soil guideline (Townsend 2003)
Light gray or white house	Black	Highest contrast (editorial)
Red brick house	Black or dark brown, not red	Low contrast with red (editorial)
Desert or full-sun bed with heat-sensitive groundcovers	Brown or undyed, at least 3 inches deep	Dark mulch surfaces up to 65 °F hotter than plant surfaces (UC ANR)
You want color to last a full year	Buy a guaranteed bagged product and keep it dry for 24 hours	Scotts 1-year ColorGuard guarantee (Scotts)
Your yard charges more for red	Expect $3 to $6 a cubic yard extra	3 of 11 yards did on Oct. 30, 2026 (GIR list)
Beds are faded but still 2 to 3 inches deep	Rake to turn the layer, or top up only 1 inch	Excess depth builds up when mulch is added to refresh color (GIR depth guide)

1. 1Is it for a vegetable bed, fruit trees or a play area?

   YesUse undyed mulch or a product labeled Natural Forest Products.

   NoGo to the next question

2. 2Does the bag say Reprocessed Wood and lack an MSC Certified logo?

   YesAsk for CCA test results or pick another product.

   NoGo to the next question

3. 3Is the house white, light gray or pale stone?

   YesBlack gives the most contrast.

   NoGo to the next question

4. 4Is the house red or orange brick?

   YesBlack or dark brown; skip red.

   NoGo to the next question

5. 5Is it a full-sun desert bed with heat-sensitive plants?

   YesBrown or undyed, 3 inches deep.

   NoDark brown or red; check whether your yard charges $3 to $6 more for red.

Source: MSC guidelines; Jacobi et al. 2007; UC ANR 2022; GIR price list Oct. 30, 2026

Question	Short answer	Source
Black dye	Carbon black	MSC
Red dye	Iron oxide	MSC
Price by color (median per cu yd)	Black $43.47, brown $42.95, red $44, undyed $40	GIR list, Oct. 30, 2026
Main safety risk	CCA-treated recycled wood, not dye	Townsend 2003
Black vs brown soil heat 3 in down	Effectively equal	LSU AgCenter 2024
Color guarantee	12 months (Scotts Nature Scapes)	Scotts