Not sure...when doing some research into color theory stuff I was surprised by how books labeled blue on the color wheel differently. Some references had a very purplish-blue labeled as blue. Hmmm...and I thought that I could at least identify colors!

- Brent

Not exactly sure why, but colors do vary according to growing conditions (sun/shade, soil pH, zone, etc.) so something that's a little too purple for you might be the right shade of blue somewhere else. So, I'd guess that unless it's deep purple, it's probably classified as some shade of blue.

This is going way OT Brent, but back when doing college chemistry, men almost invariably had problems with titration experiments. Our instructor said that in his years of teaching, that's always been the case, and paired the men with women.

I read somebody describe the term "blue" when used in gardening. When used to describe flowers, blue means purple; when used to describe foliage, blue means green. ;-)

The only plant that I have in my garden that I would describe as having "blue" flower color is Amsonia tabernaemontana. It is quite a light blue. Plants I have with "blue" in the name include Salvia 'Blue Bedder" (seems more light purple than blue) and blue fescue (does have hints of blue but definitely not a bold blue).

- Brent

As far as I know it goes back to the "species" or "wild" variety. The new colors are refered to as blue or red compared to how they resemble or differ from the original variety. The plant can also appear to change color depending on the amount of light it is receiving. Blue Fortune here looks pale periwinkle but slightly more blue. I would call it blue. Is Stella D'Oro daylilly yellow or orange. Colors can are much more difficult than most think. How many people have argued over paint chips that have different names but areavery similar. So similar that some people can't see the difference? What a mess... LOL

In commercial horticulture itÂs really bad, darker shades of pink are often called Âred too etc. But in the science of horticulture there are higher standards. Most of the bigger institutions use something like the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart .
With the R.H.S. color chart there are over 200 cards called Âfans each fan has some of the tints or shades of a color. And each fan has a number with itÂs tints or shades each having a letter. For example: most flowers on an old rose in my back yard are #67  A with some at #67  B. Now anyone in the world with the same chart (and itÂs cross-referenced to other hort. charts too) can look it up and know exactly what color IÂm talking about. Now you say how come everyone isnÂt using this chart? How come I donÂt see those numbers and letters with every flower photo! Well, first, commercial hort. has very low standards. And second, like everything else at professional grade, the chart cost an arm and a leg but I think they still sell them at R.H.S.

In a perfect worldÂÂ you would see the R.H.S. chart numbers and letters under all the photos in flower catalogs and books. And you could go to your nearest garden center, and they would have the chart so you could look it up and see what that fl. color really looks like.

Oh, dream on, Brian, dream on.

Brian C.
P.S. I think the Nat. Arboretum has a copy of the chart (the 200+ cards in a box)

Wow Brian, that is very cool information!! I never even knew that a chart like that existed. Very cool indeed. :-)

Jen