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Pantone’s Color of the Year

Whip Your Garden into Shape with Pantone’s Mocha Mousse

Imagine cozying up with something smooth, rich, and totally irresistible—that’s mocha mousse, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025. A perfect blend of chocolatey brown and creamy beige, it gives off a vibe that’s both chic and comforting.

As curator of plant collections at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I couldn’t help but imagine all the delicious ways to stir this cozy mocha mousse vibe into outdoor spaces and containers. According to Pantone, the global color authority, mocha mousse oozes warmth and comfort, serving up a message of connection and grounded elegance, like your garden is brewing up a warm welcome for everyone to enjoy.

Pair mocha mousse with dusky rose, lilac, sage, or cornflower blue for a harmonious chord of hues. Enhance the look with pots, trellises, or edging in bronze or rust tones to add warmth and depth, echoing the rich mocha tones in your plantings. For a bolder vision, combine it with pink, peach, orange, and burgundy in classic terracotta pots.

Why not make the most of mocha mousse and teal? Mocha mousse-colored plants create a stunning contrast against the teal tones often seen in patina-treated copper or ceramic planters. For a winning palette, add pops of coral, purple, and mustard to your containers this summer for extra vibrancy and visual interest.

pantone
PANTONE 17-1230
Mocha Mousse
 
mocha color plants

Here are a few of my favorite mocha mousse-colored plants

River birch

River birch
(Betula nigra [FOX VALLEY® Chicagoland Grows®] ‘Little King’)

A compact, ornamental tree with striking, peeling bark and vibrant golden-yellow fall foliage. Growing 10 to 15 feet tall and wide, it’s perfect for small spaces, thrives in various soils, resists birch borers, and adds year-round charm and texture to the landscape.

sedge

Sedge
(Carex flagellifera ‘Toffee Twist’)

This New Zealand sedge adds texture and warmth with golden-brown, twisty blades. Thriving in sun or part-shade, it’s a playful, low-maintenance grass that infuses personality and color into your garden. Deer-resistant and charming, it’s a fun, whimsical touch for your landscape, though the sedge is not hardy in colder climates.

Northern sea oats

Northern sea oats
(Chasmanthium latifolium)

This grass features cascading, flat seedheads that turn a rich brown in late summer. Its arching green foliage adds texture and movement to gardens. Deer-resistant and perfect for naturalistic plantings, meadows, or borders, it thrives in part-shade to full sun and attracts birds, making it a versatile and ornamental garden choice.

Small-flowered foxglove
(Digitalis parviflora ‘Milk Chocolate’)

A compact foxglove with mocha-colored flowers that attract pollinators like bees. Blooming from late spring to early summer, it offers long-lasting color. Tolerant of dry spells once established, it self-seeds and spreads naturally, adding charm without being invasive—perfect for low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly gardens.

Sweet potato vine
(Ipomoea [SIDEKICK™ Heart Bronze])

This eye-catching annual features bold, heart-shaped leaves in a warm, mocha-toned hue with subtle undertones of copper. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it adds instant flair to any space. Use it as a lively ground cover, a hanging basket stunner, or a trailing accent in containers for a splash of drama. 

Bearded iris
(Iris x germanica ‘Downtown Brown’)

Picture a bearded iris with deep, velvety brown blooms kissed by bold gold accents. Blooming in late spring, it thrives in full sun and well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Deer-resistant and perfect for dramatic borders, it’s a showstopper that adds both elegance and intrigue to any garden without the worry. 

Petunia
(Petunia × hybrida [SUPERTINA® Latte] ‘Kerlatte’)

This annual dazzles with creamy beige blooms accented by lavender undertones, blooming nonstop from spring to fall. Heat-tolerant and low-maintenance, it thrives in full sun and doesn’t require deadheading. Loved by bees and butterflies, its compact, trailing habit makes it perfect for containers, hanging baskets, or window boxes. Effortless charm.

Make It Last

Let mocha mousse shine all winter long.  Leave dried hydrangea blooms, oak leaves, and ornamental grasses in this warm, rich hue for a cozy, textured garden. These natural accents create a stylish, seasonal display that adds charm and interest through the colder months.