There are many colours that take their name from flowers, and those flowers are the reference point for the particular tint of that colour. Violet, lilac, mustard and saffron spring to mind. So too does primrose, the wild example being Primula vulgaris, a pale yellow flower that appears in the spring. Plant breeders have bred from the wild primrose to produce primulas of a vast range of colours. We were in a garden centre recently and I photographed theses examples on sale. As I took in the range of colours I noticed there was none exhibiting the colour of the wild variety and I reflected that, to my mind, its subtle yellow outshines all its derivatives.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: iPhone
