Burning Vita Goldenrod

The progressive participle of burn — used as a color modifier for hues that read as actively luminous, as if combustion is in progress. Burning red, burning orange: the implication is high saturation combined with thermal heat. Sits in the bright-and-warm corner alongside hot and flame. Slightly more active than smoldering.

Latin vita, life-or-living. As a color modifier, vita implies a Latin-life-and-living-quality quality, the visual register of Roman-vita-and-dolce-vita-Latin-life hand-Latin-life-and-living-quality Roman-vita-and-dolce-vita-Latin-life-and-Vergilian-pastoral vita-and-Latin-life-and-living-quality surfaces under Roman-vita-and-dolce-vita-Latin-life-and-Vergilian-pastoral Augustan-Rome-and-Renaissance-Italy living-Roman-light. Sits at the modifier-and-Latin end of the grid, parallel to amor and via 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.