There were a bunch of links to different sites discussing dyed mulches in the thread linked below. I don't know much about the differences in mulch myself. We purchase all hardwood mulch sans the dyes in bulk from a local company. It's almost the cheapest thing you can get in this area. Our sanitation department gives it away but by the time they are done saturating it with chemicals it reeks and all of the natural wood smell is gone. My neighbors use it and it stinks up the whole block for a week or so. I am all for frugal but anything that has a chemical smell that is that pungent can't be good. I would much rather pay for it and enjoy the smell of real wood.

Here is a link that might be useful: Red Mulch Discussion

yuck yuck yuck.....I would never put dyed anything in my gardens or yard. it doesnt look natural! Wood fades naturally maybe even after an afternoon in the sun. Seeing bright rust colored mulch chips in my gardens in November would look terrible. *L*, besides there is nothing wrong with faded real wood chips, it's natural and real-that is what gardens are supposed to be!

Lyle

I buy bagged cyprus and pine bark nuggets in bags from Lowes. Twin Bridge nursery out on Wade Hampton near thehas bulk piles of mulch and I think they have some that isn't dyed. Also, I think Upstate Mulch has non-dyed mulch as well. They have a location in Greer on Buncombe, just over Wade Hampton, basically across the street from Taco Bell.

Some of the natural looking dark brown ones are attractive, and dyed.
I buy the cheap stuff from the county that is nothing but ground up wood. No chemicals here. I have been using it for years and it works fine. If I only had small areas to cover, I might buy the expensive dark brown mulch. It wouldn't bother me to put it around my shrubs. I would not use it around vegetables.