Color of the Year-inspired plant list for 2026

Terra Nova Nurseries has unveiled its Pantone Color of the Year 2026 plant list based upon Pantone 11-4201 Cloud Dancer. The 2026 selection of Terra Nova plant pairings includes 20 best-of-breeding varieties that reflect the airy white hue of Cloud Dancer through soft foliage textures and delicate flowers.

The organic connection between Cloud Dancer and Terra Nova's Color of the Year plant selections is expressed in the gentle, serene feelings evoked by the companion varieties. Pantone describes the trending color as "…a whisper of calm and peace in a noisy world."

Terra Nova's breeding and marketing teams curated the Pantone-inspired collection to echo the clean, uplifting quality of Cloud Dancer. Terra Nova's chosen varieties capture the color's subtle warmth and its ability to bring a sense of ease and balance to both container compositions and garden landscapes. From light and creamy blooms to variegated foliage to overall hues and tones, each variety complements the versatile and grounding nature of Cloud Dancer.

"Cloud Dancer's calming character naturally aligns with Terra Nova's 2026 companion plant selections," said Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development at Terra Nova Nurseries. "The color's discrete hue resonates through each variety, helping create plant combinations that feel ethereal, thoughtfully composed and ideal for landscape professionals and gardeners looking to introduce moments of harmony into their outdoor environments."

© Terra Nova Nurseries, IncAjuga Nova White

Finishing growers, retailers and landscapers are invited to explore Terra Nova's collection of Pantone-forward plants, which feature warm whites, gentle creams, and cozy ivories. The plant list offers a refined palette that can be used to create peaceful, inviting spaces that mirror Cloud Dancer's airy neutrality and thoughtful elegance.

© Terra Nova Nurseries, IncAcanthus Whitewater

Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year shows up clearly in the abundant, white, icicle-like flowers of Ajuga Nova 'White'. Acanthus 'Whitewater' brings the same tone in its tall, 48-inch flower stalks, similar to the soft shades seen in Cloud Dancer. Terra Nova's Coreopsis Sunstar 'Rose' pairs well with Cloud Dancer thanks to its white-edged, rose-eyed flowers that bloom from June through September.

© Terra Nova Nurseries, IncCoreopsis Sunstar Rose

Dicentra 'Amore Titanium' carries the theme with white, heart-shaped flowers that stand out against blue-green foliage. Echinacea 'Fragrant Angel' adds large, fragrant blooms with overlapping horizontal petals that echo Cloud Dancer's warm, natural look. The color also appears in Echinacea 'Fried Egg', known for its sweetly scented petals, and in the double-flowering Echinacea Cara Mia 'Sands', which shines in gardens inspired by this shade.

© Terra Nova Nurseries, IncEchinacea Cara Mia Sands

Echinacea Princess 'Bride' shows the light, airy tones of the palette with its clean mound of white, daisy-like flowers. Terra Nova's Helleborus North Star 'Crystalline' forms a mound of shimmering white blooms that appear in late winter and blend well with Cloud Dancer. Helleborus North Star 'Ruby Heart' offers showy winter flowers that strongly reflect the Color of the Year.

© Terra Nova Nurseries, IncEchinacea Princess Bride

You can also see Pantone's Cloud Dancer in the dainty, cream-white blooms of Heucherella 'Peach Tea' during June and July. The variegation on the foliage of Hosta 'Raspberry Sundae' aligns nicely with the 2026 trend. Leucanthemum 'Coconut' mirrors Cloud Dancer with its warm undertones and white double daisies, while Leucanthemum 'Lemon Puff' brings masses of lemon-yellow to white flowers that complement the palette.

© Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc Echinacea Fragrant Angel

Terra Nova's Leucanthemum 'Macaroon' adds white double blooms with neutral tones similar to Cloud Dancer. Leucanthemum 'Mt. Hood' highlights the Color of the Year through its large, double flowers with crystal-like petals, adding calm to borders, mass plantings, and containers. Penstemon Nova 'Pearl' follows suit with pearlescent, tubular flowers that appear from June through October.

Pantone's Color of the Year is a natural fit with Plectranthus Nova 'Brilliant', a vigorous, self-branching plant with bright, white-edged variegated foliage. Thalictrum Nimbus 'White' captures the billowy character of Cloud Dancer with masses of cloud-like blooms. The calming nature of the color is also evident in the profuse flower spikes of Terra Nova's Tiarella 'Spring Symphony'.