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Inspiration in the color marigold.

Learn the history and meaning of the color marigold, the ambitious mix of yellow, orange, and a little bit of red.

Design with marigold

Get inspired with marigold design templates.

The color marigold can balance a palette with the warmth of the sun or the crunchy feel of autumn.

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What is the meaning of the color marigold?

Marigold color is a bright yellow with an overlay of orange and a light flush of red. Named after the marigold flower, the color marigold is warm and optimistic, but has its cool side, too. The marigold flower blooms in the fall and its toasty hue gives off a rustic feel of autumn. Marigold color is more versatile than that, though. Its rich history can surprise and inspire.

The color marigold is a rusty yellow or a light orange, depending what color is next to it. Marigold is one of the most cherished colors of nature.

The history of the color marigold.

Marigold color was named after the bright golden-yellow flower.

Marigold is the popular name for a bright yellow flower. When the word was introduced into English in the 14th century, it was first spelled marygolde, which gives a clue to its origin. The name’s root being “Mary’s Gold,” it’s said to reference the Virgin Mary. Marigold as a color was first documented in English in 1770.

Follow the trends of marigold color in popular use.

The color marigold had a curious spike in use between 1800 and 1820. Riding the cusp of neoclassicism and romanticism in art, this yellow-orange formed part of a palette of natural warm hues. Marigold hovered in consistent use into the early 20th century when it dropped during the gemstone color craze of the Jazz Age. Today, marigold color is as popular as it was in the 1800s.

Marigold color became as enigmatic as its flower namesake.

Marigold color is warm, but worn. Is it yellow? Is it orange? Is it bright? Is it rustic? The appearance of marigold in literature shows how many interpretations of the flowers there are. Author Katherine Mansfield described “golden-eyed” marigolds for their beauty, but Mark Twain allegedly said, “marigolds are the flowers that remind us of our mortality.” In contrast, Maya Angelou was quoted to say, “marigolds are the flowers of hope.”

The color marigold across different cultures.

For these civilizations on the opposite ends of the world, marigold was the color of the sun.

The marigold was first used for medicinal purposes by the Aztecs. The civilization prized the golden flower and explored its uses extensively. They believed the color was representative of the sun, which made its value even greater. In Hindu and Buddhist theology, marigold color was also thought of as the color of the sun. Marigold flowers were said to represent strength and power.

The Irish had their own two cents to say about marigold.

Societies have associated the beautiful and bright marigold flower with everything from power to happiness and prosperity. One Irish proverb, however, has a different take: “There is no need to go looking for a meaning in a Marigold. It doesn’t have one.”

Christianity has its own stake in the color marigold.

Marigold color has clear inspiration in the color gold. The rich, mineral yellow is reminiscent of the precious metal. The origin of the name marigold is said to come from Mary’s Gold, specifically, referring to the Virgin Mary. The marigold flower and the color marigold have been left at the feet of statues of Mary as a symbol of honor and love as a result.

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