The plant's roots contain an anthracene compound called alizarin that gives its red colour to a textile dye known as Rose madder.

[8] R. tinctorum was extensively cultivated in south Europe, France, where it is called garance, and the Netherlands, and to a small extent in the United States.

In his Natural History, Pliny described it as a diuretic and is capable of treating jaundice and lichen planus.

[8] John Gerard, in 1597, wrote of it as having been cultivated in many gardens in his day, and describes its many supposed virtues,[10] but any pharmacological or therapeutic action which madder may possess is unrecognizable.

Its most remarkable physiological effect was found to be that of colouring red the bones of animals fed upon it, as also the claws and beaks of birds.