Incorporating Pantone’s 2026 Color of The Year Into Your Garden
The long-awaited release of Pantone’s Color of the Year has finally been announced…and while there is a bit of controversy over the color, or in some’s eyes the lack thereof, we have been fueled by inspiration and dreams of the ways we can incorporate this color into our garden plans for the coming seasons.
The world-renowned color matching system offers a universal language for colors, establishing the industry standard for precise color communication worldwide. This year, the color gurus have spoken, and they have deemed Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2026 Cloud Dancer (11-4201). In this blog, we will highlight the key symbols this color embodies and share the plants we believe best represent its ethereal tone.
Pantone’s 2026 Color Of The Year and What it Symbolizes
Less is More
In a world that is always moving, relentlessly chaotic, and constantly pushing the idealization that we need more, Pantone chose an unconventional approach to set the tone for 2026. Cloud Dancer is a soft, airy, and lofty white that was chosen for its symbolism as a ‘blank canvas’ for quiet reflection in a noisy world. This subtle yet bold selection marks the first time a shade of white has been selected in the program's history. While we love a flourishing and colorful garden as much as the next guy, we can’t help but want to embrace the idea that sometimes less is more.
Serenity & Grounding
The choice of a whimsical white for this year’s color is also a symbol of peace and grounding. Cloud Dancer is described as a pale, ethereal white, embracing simplicity and mindfulness. The act of gardening in and of itself is a grounding practice that brings you back down to earth when so many outside forces are pulling for your attention and energy. When you walk out into a garden of white blooms filled with cloud-like wonder, it's hard not to feel lighter and more at peace with yourself and your surroundings.
A Return To Human Connection
At the end of the day, after endless scrolling, staring at screens, and chatting with AI bots, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the state of the world and all that is moving so quickly around us. In an interview with Laurie Pressman, the Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute, she explains that the selection of Cloud Dancer encapsulates more than just a simple white hue. In the interview, Pressman states the color also hints at 'our search for balance between our digital future and our primal need for human connection. '
Best Plants For Incorporating Cloud Dancer White into Your Garden
White Cloud Muhly Grass
If we had to choose just one plant that embodies the light and airy hues of Cloud Dancer, it would undoubtedly be White Cloud Muhly Grass. Sporting cloud-like plumes of white blooms in late summer through the early fall, this ornamental grass is like a breath of fresh air in the garden. While many other plants are fading and heading into dormancy, White Cloud Muhly Grass keeps that childlike wonder alive, serving understated elegance in any landscape it has the opportunity to grace. In addition to this plant’s incredible beauty, once established, it needs little care, thrives in poor, sandy, or rocky soils, and requires minimal water, making it an ideal option for xeriscaping.
Astilbe Visions In White
While we’re on the topic of fluffy white magic in the garden, we’d be remiss not to mention the fluffy wonder that is Astilbe Visions in White. This shade garden favorite is praised for its stunning, feathery white plumes, which add angelic tones to the shadier corners of the garden. Astilbe is a tough, deer-resistant perennial that attracts pollinators and offers season-long interest to any landscape. The Cloud Dancer-toned blooms paired with the plant’s feathery, fern-like foliage bring a fairytale-like vibe that can’t be beat. Best suited for growing zones 4-8, Astilbe' Visions in White' is an excellent option for a range of gardening projects.
Snowball Viburnum
If you're in search of a significant and impactful way to incorporate the creamy white elegance of Cloud Dancer into your garden, the Snowball Viburnum is likely the way to go. Sometimes mistaken for a member of the hydrangea family, this unique shrub explodes in a mass of snowball-like flowers that provide a dramatic focal point for the garden in mid-spring. These hardy shrubs tolerate a wide range of soils, as well as withstanding urban pollution and browsing from deer.
American Fringe Tree
Last on our list of landscape plants that replicate this year’s selected Pantone Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, is the majestic and airy American Fringe Tree. This North American native is an icon in the landscape in more seasons than one. Sporting clouds of delicate fringe-like white blooms in spring, the American Fringe represents the exact aura that makes up the billowy, balanced tone of Cloud Dancer. Beyond the fringe, this popular statement tree offers a compact form, mesmerizing fall color, and a low-maintenance care regimen.
Stay On Trend With Garden Goods Direct
As we look ahead to the 2026 gardening season, Pantone’s Cloud Dancer reminds us that beauty doesn’t always need to shout to be powerful. This ethereal white invites moments of calm, connection, and intentional design, allowing our gardens to become spaces of reflection and restoration.
Whether you’re drawn to billowing grasses, soft perennial blooms, or statement-making trees, incorporating Cloud Dancer-inspired plants offers a timeless way to create balance and serenity in the landscape. Sometimes, the most meaningful gardens are the ones that leave room to breathe.