Glorious Green: The Most Abundant Color In Nature 

Text and photos by Heather Cline 

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought I'd highlight the color most commonly found in nature: green. From deserts to forests and plant life to wildlife - you can enjoy this color nearly everywhere. 

Forest Wood Sorrel

Have you ever found a four-leaf clover? I haven't and started wondering if they were just a myth, but they are, in fact real. The four-leaf clover is a rare variation of the common three-leaf clover, resulting from a genetic mutation, with an estimated probability of finding one around 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 10,000. So, if you have found one, you are lucky indeed! 

Portland Botanical Gardens

Green is associated with a sense of calm and healing so it's no surprise that people to turn to nature as a way to reduce stress, improve mental health and boost creativity.  Aren't you glad you have these calming images to get you through your Monday morning? :)

Birds are amazing for many reasons, but their wide range of colors is what attracts many people to them - and to each other. The colors presented in bird feathers are influenced by two things: pigments and structural colors. There are several contributors to pigments but green is most driven by Porphyrins. Birds also utilize other pigments, such as carotenoids and melanins, to produce a wide variety of colors in their plumage. Structural colors are created based on the structure of the feather itself. Two examples are iridescence, which results in a shimmering effect and light refraction that creates colors like the green in the hummingbird above. 

Mama two-toed sloth navigating the treetops with her baby

Although green is a naturally occurring color among birds, fish, reptiles, and insects, there are no mammals with green fur. However, the combination of climate and slow movements of the sloth allow algae to grow in their fur, which can result in a green appearance. The algae serves as both camouflage and a food source for the sloth and the algae also benefits from the sloth's unique fur, creating a symbiotic relationship. 

A section of Moss Brae Falls

People instinctively love waterfalls. The combination of lush greenery and rushing water create a visual and auditory impact that is tough to beat. 

Saguaro Cactus

Even the desert offers up plenty of green through the plants and wildlife that make the arid environment their home. The desert can be a harsh place and plants, like the Saguaro above, have developed adaptations to survive and thrive. Tactics like storing water in thick stems or fleshy leaves, reducing water loss through small leaves or spines, and utilizing efficient photosynthesis strategies allows them to hold moisture for use during dry periods. 

I leave you with this final image of corn lilies taken in Lassen Volcanic National Park. These plants got their name to its resemblance to cultivated corn, but I wouldn't advise eating it because every part of the plant is toxic. Go for the real corn instead!

Happy St. Patrick's Day and I hope you enjoyed this little green tour.