Green stands as a symbol of life, growth and harmony.
When we think of green, we imagine many of nature’s offerings such as forests, trees, grass, olives, apples, lichen, jade and emerald. Green’s strong link with nature seems to bring us closer to nature and to one another. It brings us comfort, relaxation and wellness. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety.
Green has great healing power. It is the most restful colour for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green promotes compassion and unconditional love, forgiveness, contentment, nurturing, harmony and generosity. Physically it is linked to the heart, circulatory system, arms and hands.
Green suggests stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes lack of experience; for example, a ‘greenhorn’ is a novice. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the colour of free passage in road traffic.
In addition to fostering peace of mind, green seems to balance certain of our physiological functions, among them our heart, lungs and blood circulation. Certain studies even suggest that green promotes deep, slow breathing. Colour therapists use green to cure a number of ailments.
Those who dress in green tend to be careful, inclined to observe rather than act. They also display a humanitarian spirit, enjoy helping others and tend to notice details that others simply overlook.
In decoration, certain nuances of green, such as mint and aqua, are considered refreshing. Apple and lime green are more stimulating and create an atmosphere of joy and lightness, while darker shades such as bottle and olive green can add a touch of calm to a décor. Thanks to its inherent qualities, green, in one of its many nuances, suits any room and brings a welcome touch of nature into our lives. Green is easy on the eyes and non-invasive.
Use green to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Lighter hues of green (aqua, olive) are good for healing or peaceful purposes. Green is directly related to nature, so you can use it to promote ‘green’ products. Darker greens tend to be more masculine and conservative, and are commonly associated with money, the financial world and banking.
Darker hues of green. Dark greens are often linked to the financial world (wall street, wealth, money).
Green represents life and renewal. It is a restful and soothing colour but can also represent jealousy and inexperience. You can often find it used in companies that want to portray themselves as eco-friendly.
McDonald’s, for example, has chosen to move away from the red in its logo, and instead use a deep hunter green to promote a more environmentally-friendly image in Europe. A spokesperson explained at the launch: “With this new appearance we want to clarify our responsibility for the preservation of natural resources. In the future we will put an even larger focus on that.”
