Pantone has announced Mocha Mousse 17-1230 as the Color of the Year! And we’re already in love with this earthy, warm tone that is a breath of fresh air for nature lovers and gardeners alike!
Mocha Mousse brings a grounded elegance that reflects the growing trend of connecting with nature and embracing its neutral, calming hues.
What better way to honor this color than by including plants with mocha, bronze, and warm brown tones in your garden?
- Feel The Allure Of Mocha Mousse!
- Plants You Can Use To Include Mocha Mousse In Your Garden
- Using Mocha Mousse in Your Garden
- Embrace the Beauty of Mocha Mousse
Feel The Allure Of Mocha Mousse!
Mocha Mousse sits in the neutral spectrum, combining the softness of brown with a hint of warmth. It’s a versatile, grounding color that pairs beautifully with almost any palette and the green of plant leaves!
In the Victorian Language of Flowers, browns and tans were used to express emotions subtly. While browns and tans aren’t as common in floral arrangements, they symbolize stability, dependability, and humility—qualities cherished for their simplicity and strength.
Throughout history, brown has symbolized the essence of the earth and the comfort of home. Brown flowers and foliage were seen as grounding, much like the earth itself, representing a return to nature and a love of the outdoors!
From comforting chocolate and coffee to ancient clay pottery and rich leatherwork, this color has been a constant presence in human life. Even if it does seem to fade into the background.
It reflects simplicity, resilience, and warmth, making it perfect for creating serene outdoor spaces.
Plants You Can Use To Include Mocha Mousse In Your Garden
Here’s how you can incorporate Pantone’s Mocha Mousse into your landscape using plants with brown-toned foliage - trees, shrubs, and perennials from Nature Hills Nursery!
Mocha-Inspired Trees
- Summer Chocolate Mimosa Tree (Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate'): Warm mocha foliage with a purple overtone all growing season, Summer Chocolate is a finely-textured shade tree with showy pink blooms each summer!
- Ruby Falls Weeping Redbud (Cercis canadensis 'Ruby Falls'): Featuring mocha-toned purple leaves with a weeping form, Ruby Falls is a gorgeous specialty Redbud with the typical pink early spring flowers you love!
- Persian Ironwood Tree (Parrotia persica): The Persian Ironwood tree features bark that peels to reveal mocha-toned layers, along with stunning fall colors.
Shrubs With Mocha Foliage or Flowers
- Kodiak® Black Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla rivularis 'SMNDRSF'): Chocolatey, darker mocha foliage with a purple overtone, Kodiak® Black is more coffee than black and has yellow blooms.
- First Editions® Shining Sensation™ Weigela (Weigela florida 'Bokrashine'): A sweet little shrub with hot pink blooms the hummingbirds adore, Shining Sensation™ features mocha-toned foliage through the growing season.
- Burgundy Spice Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus var. purpureus 'Burgundy Spice'): With its dramatic purple-toned chocolate leaves and mocha-hued flowers, Burgundy Spice is a great option.
Mocha Toned Perennials
- Bronze Peacock Rodgersia (Rodgersia pinnata 'Bronze Peacock'): Saturated bronzy-chocolate, whorled foliage that is heavily crinkled leaves with toothy edges. Bronze Peacock turns green in the summer, but are festooned in tall pink flowering spires!
- Cafe Au Lait Dahlia (Dahlia 'Cafe Au Lait'): A soft pastel Mocha hue, Cafe Au Lait Dahlias bring a subtle creamy twist to this color!
- Proven Winners® Toffee Twist Sedge Grass (Carex flagellifora 'Toffee Twist'): The slender, iridescent leaves of Toffee Twist offer an elegant sweeping, trailing habit that stuns all growing season.
Using Mocha Mousse in Your Garden
Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said the color evokes “thoughtful indulgence” and we have to agree!
Using plants with Mocha Mousse-inspired tones is a creative way to bring Pantone’s Color of the Year into your outdoor space. Trees with textured bark can serve as structural anchors, while shrubs and perennials work as smaller accents with warmth and depth.
In gardens, plants with brown and bronze hues provide a natural balance to brighter colors and create a soothing backdrop for vivid greens and flowers of all types.
Pair Mocha Mousse tones with ivory, bronze, coppers, or deep greens for elegance, or contrast them with blush pinks, peaches, and lavenders for a modern twist.
- Try adding this soothing color to Zen Gardens and Meditation Nooks
- Bring a calming note to seating areas and around a reading chair or hammock
- Include this sophisticated and subtle color in formal gardens and foundation plantings
- Mix into established gardens to create an extra layer of color
- Blends beautifully with dark foliage gardens and among evergreen plants
- Include as backdrop plants and backdrop hedges
Include this warming, rich brown hue in your garden for a harmonious look! Pair brown-toned plants with golden yellows, creamy whites, and soft greens anywhere you have a desire for comfort.
Want to make a bold statement? Combine Mocha Mousse with purples or blues for high-contrast, contemporary appeal.
Embrace the Beauty of Mocha Mousse
Pantone’s Mocha Mousse celebrates the timeless connection between humans and nature. By incorporating earthy tones into your garden, you create a space that feels grounded, welcoming, and serene.
From the dramatic bark of the Paperbark Maple to the rich foliage of Coral Bells, Nature Hills Online Plant Nursery offers a wide range of plants to help you channel this year’s most stylish color. Start planting your Mocha Mousse-inspired garden today and enjoy the calming beauty of earthy hues all year long!
Find your perfect Mocha Mousse plants at Nature Hills Nursery and turn your garden into a masterpiece of natural elegance!
Happy Planting!
