Step into the #Magentaverse: Color of the Year Planting Guide

What’s Pantone and the Color of the Year?

Pantone started out in the 1960s as a color-matching system and has since evolved into one of the largest recognizable color standards brands. According to their website, “Pantone provides a universal language of color”, complete with a unique naming system so people can communicate worldwide about colors.

In 1999, the Pantone Color Institute created the first Color of the Year, to start a global conversation about the connection between culture and color. The very first Color of the Year was Cerulean Blue, which kicked off the new millennium. Each year since then, Pantone has selected a new color that blends culture with the unique language of color.

Viva Magenta! Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2023 was inspired by nature, with organic origins pulled from the cochineal beetle. This tiny bug provides carmine dye, which is one of the brightest natural dyes in the red color family. Viva magenta is warm, rich, and embodies boldness and fun. As described by Pantone, “Viva Magenta 18-750 vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.”

What Plants Represent Viva Magenta?

We love this bold, unconventional shade, and curated a few of our vibrant-colored plants to match.

Looking for perennials?

Cherry Pops Bee Balm, or Mondara Cherry Pops, is a deer-resistant perennial that attracts bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies to your garden. It blooms in the summer and does well in sun and part sun/shade.

Vivid Bright Light Dianthus has, like the name suggests, vivid pink flowers and gray-green foliage. It works best as a ground cover, and it may attract pollinators. It is a low-maintenance plant that blooms from summer until fall.

Red Fox Veronica Spicata is a compact grower, making it perfect for smaller spaces or containers. This plant flowers from mid to late summer, and requires little care, except for pruning in the fall to encourage new growth in the next season.

Sombrero® Baja Burgundy is a coneflower in the red color family, its rich blossoms attract butterflies and bees, throughout the spring and summer. Once it’s matured it’s hardy enough to survive harsh drought conditions.

Are shrubs more your thing?

Meet McKay exclusive Cherry Explosion™ Hydrangea! This gorgeous plant blooms throughout summer and into fall. It features cherry florets circling tiny light pink flowers. This hydrangea enjoys protection from the hot afternoon sun. If grown in acidic soil, the flower color is lavender. 

Wine & Roses Weigela features beautiful dark burgundy/purple foliage during the growing season. The flowers are vibrant pink. This weigela blossoms in the late spring, with re-blooms often occurring throughout the summer.

Ruby Voodoo Rose is a hardy rose shrub that grows highly fragrant and abundant purple-pink blossoms. Some extra care is required to get the most beauty out of this bush. Plant in a spot that has full sun and good drainage, prune annually, and deadhead flowers that have died out to get the best results.

Would you like to treat your yard to a new tree?

Crabapple trees typically bud in the spring, and these two crabapple varieties we’ve chosen are sights to behold when they blossom.

Royal Raindrops® Crabapple blooms in the spring with vivid pinkish/red flowers. It has deep purple foliage, which stands out in the landscape. It’s highly resistant to disease, including fire-blight. At full maturity, this tree will reach around 20’ tall x 15’ wide.

Purple Prince Crabapple has a rounded shape with bright red buds in the spring. The inedible blue/purple fruit grows to about ½” in diameter. This tree will grow to about 15’ tall x 20’ wide.

If crabapples aren’t what you’re looking for, you can still have your magenta coloring…in autumn! Set your yard ablaze with the Autumn Blaze® Maple. With show-stopping fall colors, this tree won the 2022 Pennsylvania Gold Medal Award and won the 2004 Urban Tree of the Year Award. If you want to see a full spectrum of reds, oranges, and magenta in the fall, this tree is for you!

How can you Plant Viva Magenta in your Garden?

Viva Magenta is an electrifying shade that draws attention, but it doesn’t need to stand alone in your garden. Lime-colored foliage pairs well with magenta, as does dark purple leaves. White flowers would also be a good contrast to the bold warmth of the red family. Consider planting near ornamental grasses, or shrubs that don’t produce flowers if you’re worried about mixing too many colors.

However you decide to celebrate Viva Magenta, we’re here to help with your planting needs. Check out our new arrivals, or visit our blog for more gardening tips.