Wired Bark Goldenrod

Old English wīr, wire — past-participle of wire. As a color modifier, wired implies a saturated-and-electrical-charged-and-active quality, the bright color of Tesla-coil-and-Van-de-Graaff high-voltage atmospheric-electrical emission. Sits at the bright-and-active end of the grid, parallel to charged and electrified in usage.

Old Norse bǫrkr, bark. As a color modifier, bark implies a tree-bark-and-rough-and-cork quality, the visual register of birch-and-oak-and-cork-bark hand-stripped-and-cork-bark birch-and-oak-and-cork-tree-bark hand-stripped-tree-bark surfaces under birch-and-oak-and-cork-bark hand-stripped-bark forest light. Sits at the modifier-and-texture end of the grid, parallel to rough and cane in usage.

Solidago, the late-summer wildflower of North American meadows whose tall sprays of small yellow flowers signal the end of the growing season. The color refers to the flower head at full bloom: a warm, slightly muted yellow-orange with the matte finish of small clustered florets. Cooler than mustard, deeper than dandelion. The state flower of Kentucky and Nebraska, a pollinator magnet, and the original native dye for early American homespun.