Plant derived carbon was utilized as a new financial and environmental friendly colorant in the synthesis of zircon encapsulated carbon pigment (C@ZrSiO4) via non-hydrolytic sol-gel method. After calcining, nature plants, i.e. sisal and bamboo leaves, were carbonized and occluded in ZrSiO4 matrix. The FT-IR and XRD results demonstrated that the plants were not affect the non-hydrolytic sol-gel polycondensation reaction, resulting in the pure ZrSiO4 formation. Both inclusion pigments presented deep black hue, i.e. L* = 34.93 and 33.02 for sisal and bamboo leaves, respectively, which was contributed to the homogeneous pore-size distribution and high carbon yield of the plants. These pigments have many distinguished advantages including low cost, high chromatic performance and excellent thermal stability, making them promising candidates for ceramic decoration. (C) 2018 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.