Arbor Day: The Color Symbolism Of Greens - Darn Good Yarn

Arbor Day: The Color Symbolism Of Greens

Written by Michaela MacBlake Matthews

Happy Arbor Day! In celebration of all things rooted and leafy, today we’re going to take a walk through the color psychology of green!

A tree surrounded by five different shades of green circles, each with a different leaf in them.

What Does Green Symbolize?

Most often, green is a sign of health, wealth, and prosperity, because of its natural presence during the food-bearing season of the year! There are a wide variety of sub-states and emotions that link into the green spectrum, including nourishment, energy, and overall balance. As a mix of yellow and blue, green brings together joy andintelligence, just as life itself does! The color represents a well structured path towards survival and fulfillment, both to maintain what already is, and to grow toward beauty.

Which Shades Of Green Represent Wealth, Energy, Or Love?

The color symbolism of kelly green, color swatch with white filigree and a leaf.

Kelly Green

Kelly Green symbolizes luck, and is often associated with St. Patrick’s Day. It is a lively, plantlike shade of green, but leans toward yellow ever so slightly. The extra yellow in the mix makes it feel a bit more impulsive, while the bright color assures that all is going well! And after all, isn’t that what luck is?

The color symbolism of hunter green, color swatch with white filigree and a leaf.

Hunter Green

Hunter Green symbolizes a more reserved and cautious path to health. It is deeper, and a bit more blue, lending itself to the color of deep woods. The blue in this mix adds intellect, while the darkness of it intertwines with mystery, and uncovering the unknown. Hunter green is often used in academic offices and libraries for this reason.

The color symbolism of lime green, color swatch with white filigree and a leaf.

Lime Green

Lime Green represents vitality, energy, and youthful stamina. It is often used in party themes, energy drinks, and vitamin bottles for this reason. Lime green symbolizes peak-performance, because it is the brightest green you can muster while still feeling the health that comes with the green family.

The color symbolism of emerald green, color swatch with white filigree and a leaf.

Emerald Green

Emerald Green symbolizes fortune and long term wealth, both in the material world and in romantic or social richness. As the middle ground between the luck of Kelly Green, and the shaded diligence of Hunter Green, emerald represents the long-term, steady vitality of balance and growth over a lifetime.

The color symbolism of chartreuse, color swatch with white filigree and a leaf.

Chartreuse

Chartreuse, a bright and sometimes mucky shade of electric yellow-green, is the color of running full throttle in short bursts, or sprinting to a checkpoint. It isn’t often used at any large scale, because it is visually exhausting in heavy doses, and can lead to overwhelm and burnout. However, in small touches, chartreuse can sneak a bit of green’s vitality into a color scheme, where green may not work too well by its own right. Chartreuse is a useful color for note taking, or perhaps a good nail color for a busy week!

Conclusion

So there you have it, five different shades of prosperity from the green family! Sprinkle them into your wardrobe, use them in your creative projects, or even just watch them grow in your yard. Either way, green is an abundant color for a reason! It doesn’t take much to liven up your day.

Meet the Author

Close up of the author, Michaela Matthews wearing red lipstick and a poofy red scarf with white flower arrangement in background.

"Mac" is on the Lifestyle Team here at Darn Good Yarn, and loves taking a ‘teach a man to fish’ approach to creative therapy. She is certified in neuro-linguistic programming, and is also the surreal artist and author behind Surrealismac.