Forest Green Color Palette
Forest Green is hex #228B22, rgb(34, 139, 34). Forest green is a deep, fully saturated green like dense woodland. It is bolder than hunter green and reads as natural, strong and outdoorsy.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Forest Green color codes
Reading the forest green color codes
The hex code #228B22 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. 22 is 34, 8B is 139 and 22 is 34, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(34, 139, 34) in CSS. The green channel is the strongest here, which is what gives forest green its green character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 120 degrees places forest green in the green part of the color wheel. Saturation of 61% makes it vivid, and lightness of 34% makes it a dark color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 76% cyan, 0% magenta, 76% yellow and 45% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to forest green for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Forest Green shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #228B22, so you can use forest green for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"forest-green": {
50: "#DCECDC",
100: "#C1DFC1",
200: "#A7D1A7",
300: "#8CC38C",
400: "#72B572",
500: "#57A757",
600: "#3D993D",
700: "#228B22",
800: "#1C711C",
900: "#155715",
950: "#0F3C0F",
},
},
},
}:root {
--forest-green-50: #DCECDC;
--forest-green-100: #C1DFC1;
--forest-green-200: #A7D1A7;
--forest-green-300: #8CC38C;
--forest-green-400: #72B572;
--forest-green-500: #57A757;
--forest-green-600: #3D993D;
--forest-green-700: #228B22;
--forest-green-800: #1C711C;
--forest-green-900: #155715;
--forest-green-950: #0F3C0F;
}A shade-by-shade guide to forest green
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#DCECDC) and 100 (#C1DFC1), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the forest green mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#A7D1A7) and 300 (#8CC38C) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where forest green is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 800 upward, so use step 800 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 600.
The darkest steps, 800 (#1C711C) through 950 (#0F3C0F), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to forest green. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with forest green
How the forest green color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from forest green is #8B228B, which sits closest to plum among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #568B22 and #228B56 sit 30 degrees either side of forest green. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#22228B and #8B2222) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to midnight blue. The split complementary set (#56228B and #8B2256) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #6BDB6B to #082108. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Forest Green compared with similar colors
sea green (#2E8B57) is about as light and more muted, and leans further around the wheel toward green. Choose sea green if you want a softer, airier version; choose forest green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
hunter green (#355E3B) is darker (29% vs 34% lightness) and more muted, and leans further around the wheel toward green. Choose hunter green if you need more weight and contrast; choose forest green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
lime green (#32CD32) is lighter (50% vs 34% lightness) and similarly saturated, and shares almost the same hue. Choose lime green if you want a softer, airier version; choose forest green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Forest Green in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here forest green carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
Weekly summary
Revenue grew 12% this week. Three invoices are waiting for approval.
Using forest green in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on forest green reach 4.39:1, enough for large or bold text only. For regular button labels, use step 800 or switch to dark text.
- Text. Avoid forest green for body text on white; use step 800 or darker for links and headings that need to read as forest green.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a vivid dark color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with forest green. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Forest Green scores 4.39:1 against white (AA large) and 4.78:1 against black (AA). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use forest green alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What forest green means
Green reads as growth, health, money and calm. Muted greens feel natural and organic; saturated greens feel fresh and energetic.
Forest green describes the deep green of a dense forest canopy. It has been used for outdoor brands, national parks and environmental organizations for decades, and its association with old money and country clubs comes from its long use in British sporting and racing colors.
In interfaces green is already wired to mean success and confirmation, so if you use it as a brand color, pick a different hue (or a much darker shade) for success states so the two never get confused.
Where forest green works best
- Outdoor gear
- Environmental organisations
- Golf and country clubs
- Banking (with gold accents)
How to style forest green
Forest green pairs with gold, cream, tan, warm wood tones and burgundy. It is dark enough for white text in most uses. In interfaces, pair it with a warm accent (amber or gold) for actions so the green is not confused with success states, and use soft green-tinted neutrals for surfaces.
Build a UI with forest green
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #228B22 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Forest Green · History and definition of forest green.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for forest green?
The hex code for forest green used on this page is #228B22. In RGB that is rgb(34, 139, 34), and in HSL it is hsl(120, 61%, 34%).
What colors go well with forest green?
Forest Green pairs well with #14532D, #ECF4E8, #D9A441 (the Canopy palette above). Its complementary color is #8B228B, and analogous colors are #568B22 and #228B56.
Is forest green a warm or cool color?
Forest Green is a slightly warm color. Its hue sits at 120 degrees on the color wheel with 61% saturation.
Can I use forest green for text?
Forest Green has a contrast ratio of 4.39:1 against white and 4.78:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as a background behind dark text, but not as text on white.
What does forest green mean?
Green reads as growth, health, money and calm. Muted greens feel natural and organic; saturated greens feel fresh and energetic. Forest Green in particular is used for outdoor gear and environmental organisations.
How do I use forest green in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#228B22] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-forest-green-500 and text-forest-green-900.
↘ Building Inspo AI | AI-Powered Design Research & Builder Platform | Design Engineer.