Terrarium Color Psychology & Meaning
Terrarium is a contained wilderness — these greens from moss-pale to deep forest are the colors of a miniature ecosystem in glass, of careful attention to a small patch of living things.
#E8F5E0
#90C868
#2E6820
#0A2808
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Terrarium Color Palette
#E8F5E0 · #90C868 · #2E6820 · #0A2808
AAA
WCAG Grade
14.1:1
Contrast Ratio
1,900
Saves
5,100
AI Copies
Use #E8F5E0 as the background. Use #90C868 as the primary accent. Use #2E6820 as secondary. Use #0A2808 as body text. Palette: Terrarium — enclosed, lush, miniature.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Terrarium color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).
| Swatch | Design Role | HEX | RGB | CMYK | HSL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background Luminance: 87.8% | 232, 245, 224 | 5%, 0%, 9%, 4% | 97°, 51%, 92% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 48.2% | 144, 200, 104 | 28%, 0%, 48%, 22% | 95°, 47%, 60% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 10.6% | 46, 104, 32 | 56%, 0%, 69%, 59% | 108°, 53%, 27% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 1.6% | 10, 40, 8 | 75%, 0%, 80%, 84% | 116°, 67%, 9% |
Terrarium Tints & Shades
Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the Terrarium palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#E8F5E0 gently saturated yellow-green
#90C868 gently saturated yellow-green
#2E6820 gently saturated green
#0A2808 saturated green
Terrarium Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)
Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.
| Text on Background | Preview | Ratio | Grade | Safe For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #0A2808 on #E8F5E0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 14.07:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #E8F5E0 on #0A2808 |
Aa Sample Text
| 14.07:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #0A2808 on #90C868 |
Aa Sample Text
| 8.07:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #90C868 on #0A2808 |
Aa Sample Text
| 8.07:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #2E6820 on #E8F5E0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.96:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #E8F5E0 on #2E6820 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.96:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #2E6820 on #90C868 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.42:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #90C868 on #2E6820 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.42:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #0A2808 on #2E6820 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.36:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #2E6820 on #0A2808 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.36:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #90C868 on #E8F5E0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.74:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E8F5E0 on #90C868 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.74:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Terrarium palette is built using a analogous relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.
Hue Wheel
A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.
History & Design Context
Terrarium and miniature garden culture has grown significantly since 2015, associated with the biophilic design movement and the therapeutic value of caring for small living things in urban environments.
Best Design Use Cases
Very light sage for surfaces. Bright plant green for brand elements. Deep green for interactive. Dark forest for text. Dense and botanical.
Industries This Palette Suits
Plant brands, interior design, wellness, slow living brands, nature education.
Colors That Pair Well With Terrarium
Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.
violet
directly opposite #90C868 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
green
30° beside #90C868 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
tinted neutral
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using Terrarium Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #90C868 for small UI elements on #E8F5E0 — at 1.7:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #0A2808 — 14.1:1 against #E8F5E0 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #2E6820 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #90C868.
How to Implement the Terrarium Color Scheme
To use this Terrarium color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.
Option 1: CSS Variables
:root {
/* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'} --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'} --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'} --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'} --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}Web Design Tip
Use #E8F5E0 for the main background and #90C868 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #0A2808 and #E8F5E0 is 14.07:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Terrarium Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Terrarium color palette?
The Terrarium palette contains #E8F5E0, #90C868, #2E6820, #0A2808. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.
Is the Terrarium color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #0A2808 on #E8F5E0 reaches 14.1:1 (AAA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.
What colors go well with the Terrarium palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #A169C9, #73BF7A, #141712 extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.
What mood does the Terrarium palette create?
Terrarium reads as enclosed, lush, miniature. Gently saturated yellow-green drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated yellow-green — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Terrarium color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Terrarium palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.
How do I add the Terrarium palette to Tailwind or CSS?
Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Terrarium's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.