bloom color - the major color as viewed from a foot or less away. For example, light yellowish pink.

value/chroma - one term for the combined value (lightness, from pale to dark) and chroma (intensity, from grayish to vivid) of the color. Example - the light in light yellowish pink. The relationship of these terms to each other is shown below on the UCL color chart.

hue modifier - the secondary color. Example - the yellowish in light yellowish pink.

hue - the primary color. Example - the pink in light yellowish pink.

The menus terms can easily be combined to create impossible or useless color names, such as reddish red, so exercise judgement to define only those relatively few valid names shown below on the UCL color chart.

synonyms - any known color synonyms. Examples (for light yellowish pink) - salmon, RHS 27C

color variation 1...6 - describe one variation at a time, by clicking its enter button. That loads a separate page with menus to describe it. The description is then stored on the primary data entry page.

Describe the most obvious variation first, . . . , least obvious variation last. Most of the satsuki variations are pictured in Galle (note that most of these variation names are commonly followed by the term shibori which translates as variation), and is omitted here.

To describe a color fading or shading to another color, or with an undertone of another color, use the bloom color menus to describe the major color, and then enter the variation color without specifying a pattern. Example (for 'Copperman') - bloom color = deep yellowish pink and variation 1 = shaded orange.

garden color - the overall flower color as viewed from a distance, such as 20 feet away

A great deal of study has gone into color definitions over the years. Click plant colors for information about some other color systems that have been used for this purpose.

The Universal Color Language (UCL) used in these color menus was defined by the Inter-Society Color Council - National Bureau of Standards in 1946. It gives an idea of the named color without reference to color chips, by combining a very few standard and fairly well understood color names. A valid UCL color name can be a value+chroma plus a hue modifier plus a hue, e.g. light yellowish pink; or a value+chroma plus a hue, e.g. light pink; or a hue modifier plus a hue, e.g. yellowish pink; or a hue only, e.g. pink. Although each such name describes a rather broad range of colors, and thus is not useful for plant identification, it is quite useful for garden planning purposes.

Some other color names used to describe azaleas translate to these UCL colors as:

Color	UCL color		Color	UCL color
amber	moderate orange yellow		lavender	pale purple
apricot	moderate orange		lemon	greenish yellow
beige	pale reddish brown		lilac	pale reddish purple
blood red	moderate red		magenta	purplish red
brick red	reddish brown		mahogany	reddish brown
bronze	yellowish brown		maroon	deep reddish brown
buff	yellowish brown		mauve	moderate reddish purple
burgundy	purplish red		ocher	dark yellow
canary	light yellow		orchid	light purplish red
carmine	purplish red		peach	light yellowish pink
cerise	bright red		periwinkle	light blue
chartreuse	pale yellowish green		plum	reddish purple
chestnut	reddish brown		rose	purplish pink
cinnamon	yellowish brown		ruby red	deep red
copper	reddish brown		rusty	reddish brown
coral	deep pink		salmon	yellowish pink
cream	yellowish white		scarlet	reddish orange
crimson	deep red		silver	grayish white
dusty	grayish		strawberry	red
fawn	pale yellowish brown		tan	yellowish brown
fuchsia	reddish purple		tawny	yellowish brown
gold	greenish yellow		vermilion	red
ivory	yellowish white		wine	purple

The circular Hue chart shows the valid UCL colors, which are the only hue modifier and hue combinations that should be chosen with the menus. Most of the color names are shown on the circle, with lighter colors on the outer arc and darker colors on the inner arc.

The lower Value/Chroma chart shows the terms used to describe the color value or lightness as it varies from top to bottom, and the color chroma or saturation as it varies from left to right.