Glistening Flurry Goldenrod

Old English glisnian, to glisten — present-participle of glisten, sharing root with German glitzern. As a color modifier, glistening implies a saturated-and-wet-or-polished-reflective quality, the bright color of fresh-rain-and-polished-silver surface-reflection. Sits at the bright-and-reflective end of the grid, parallel to shimmering and gleaming in usage.

Imitative origin, quick-burst-of-snow. As a color modifier, flurry implies a quick-burst-of-snow-and-light-and-fluttering quality, the visual register of Adirondack-and-Vermont-flurry hand-quick-burst-of-snow-and-light-and-fluttering Adirondack-and-Vermont-flurry-and-New-England-snow flurry-and-quick-burst-of-snow surfaces under Adirondack-and-Vermont-flurry-and-New-England-snow Adirondack-and-Green-Mountains-and-White-Mountains New-England-snow-light. Sits at the modifier-and-weather end of the grid, parallel to slush and thaw 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.