Cloud Dancer – 2026 Pantone Color of the Year

A colour for all seasons

This year’s chosen colour – Cloud Dancer – is a dreamy white, perfect as the festive season begins and we head into the depths of winter. It conjures feelings of hope, peace and ethereal beauty. We think of glistening snow and the sparkle of frosted seedheads, of toasting marshmallows and lighting candles. 

Crisp white snow enhances the structural beauty of plants at RHS Garden Harlow Carr

White hellebores brighten the garden from winter into spring and can be used in pots

Magnolia kobus ‘Janaki Ammal’

Narcissus ‘Actaea’ in the Devon Orchard at RHS Garden Rosemoor

Rosa Flower Carpet White (‘Noaschnee’)

Use white plants to bring light in the evenings, such as white Japanese anemones

Deadheading is the removal of flowers from plants when they have faded or died. It is done to keep plants looking attractive and encourage re-flowering.

deadheading

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

perennial

White cosmos can flower for many months if you keep deadheading faded flowers

Hydrangea arborescens Strong Annabelle

PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer

“A lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. A billowy white imbued with serenity, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer encourages true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation​.” – Pantone®

PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer

How to use Cloud Dancer in your garden

A sprinkling of white in your garden or containers brings a light touch. Use white-flowered annuals,

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

A simple palette of white, silver and grey creates a bright but classic feel

White used to the stylish max in the London Square garden, designed by Jo Thompson, RHS Chelsea 2014

About Pantone Color of the Year

Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, says: “At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discreet white hue offering a promise of clarity. The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences.”

This was the 27th year of the programme, which aims to engage the global design community and colour enthusiasts in a conversation about colour. The Institute chooses the year’s colour based on research into influences around the world, in design, art, travel, lifestyle and socio-economics. When it comes to naming the colour, they try to conjure up an image and a feeling.