Sea Green Color Palette
Sea Green is hex #2E8B57, rgb(46, 139, 87). Sea green is a medium green with a blue tint, like shallow water over sand. It is defined in the CSS named colors as seagreen.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Sea Green color codes
Reading the sea green color codes
The hex code #2E8B57 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. 2E is 46, 8B is 139 and 57 is 87, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(46, 139, 87) in CSS. The green channel is the strongest here, which is what gives sea green its green character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 146 degrees places sea green in the green part of the color wheel. Saturation of 50% makes it moderately saturated, and lightness of 36% 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 67% cyan, 0% magenta, 37% 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 sea green for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Sea Green shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #2E8B57, so you can use sea green for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"sea-green": {
50: "#DEECE4",
100: "#C4DFD0",
200: "#ABD1BC",
300: "#92C3A8",
400: "#79B593",
500: "#60A77F",
600: "#47996B",
700: "#2E8B57",
800: "#257046",
900: "#1D5635",
950: "#143B25",
},
},
},
}:root {
--sea-green-50: #DEECE4;
--sea-green-100: #C4DFD0;
--sea-green-200: #ABD1BC;
--sea-green-300: #92C3A8;
--sea-green-400: #79B593;
--sea-green-500: #60A77F;
--sea-green-600: #47996B;
--sea-green-700: #2E8B57;
--sea-green-800: #257046;
--sea-green-900: #1D5635;
--sea-green-950: #143B25;
}A shade-by-shade guide to sea 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 (#DEECE4) and 100 (#C4DFD0), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the sea green mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#ABD1BC) and 300 (#92C3A8) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where sea 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 (#257046) through 950 (#143B25), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to sea 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 sea green
How the sea green color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from sea green is #8B2E62, 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. #338B2E and #2E8B86 sit 30 degrees either side of sea 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 (#572E8B and #8B572E) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to indigo. The split complementary set (#862E8B and #8B2E33) 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 #7ED4A4 to #0A2014. 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.
Sea Green compared with similar colors
hunter green (#355E3B) is darker (29% vs 36% lightness) and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward green. Choose hunter green if you need more weight and contrast; choose sea green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
forest green (#228B22) is about as light and more saturated, and leans back the wheel toward green. Choose forest green if you need more weight and contrast; choose sea green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
jade (#00A86B) is about as light and more saturated, and leans further around the wheel toward teal-green. Choose jade if you need more weight and contrast; choose sea green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Sea Green in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here sea green carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
Weekly summary
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Using sea green in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on sea green reach 4.25:1, enough for large or bold text only. For regular button labels, use step 800 or switch to dark text.
- Text. Avoid sea green for body text on white; use step 800 or darker for links and headings that need to read as sea green.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a moderately saturated 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 sea 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). Sea Green scores 4.25:1 against white (AA large) and 4.95:1 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 sea green alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What sea green means
Green reads as growth, health, money and calm. Muted greens feel natural and organic; saturated greens feel fresh and energetic.
Sea green describes the color of shallow seawater over sand and is one of the original X11 colors that became a CSS named color. It sits between green and teal and carries a natural, refreshing feel.
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 sea green works best
- Coastal tourism
- Sustainability and ocean causes
- Health products
- Calm onboarding screens
How to style sea green
Sea green pairs with sand, coral, cream and deep navy. It supports white text for larger buttons and headings. In UI, it works as a calm primary color for health, sustainability and travel products when paired with a warm accent.
Build a UI with sea green
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #2E8B57 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- 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 sea green?
The hex code for sea green used on this page is #2E8B57. In RGB that is rgb(46, 139, 87), and in HSL it is hsl(146, 50%, 36%).
What colors go well with sea green?
Sea Green pairs well with #A8DCC0, #F6FBF8, #F2C57C (the Shoreline palette above). Its complementary color is #8B2E62, and analogous colors are #338B2E and #2E8B86.
Is sea green a warm or cool color?
Sea Green is a slightly warm color. Its hue sits at 146 degrees on the color wheel with 50% saturation.
Can I use sea green for text?
Sea Green has a contrast ratio of 4.25:1 against white and 4.95:1 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 sea green mean?
Green reads as growth, health, money and calm. Muted greens feel natural and organic; saturated greens feel fresh and energetic. Sea Green in particular is used for coastal tourism and sustainability and ocean causes.
How do I use sea green in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#2E8B57] 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-sea-green-500 and text-sea-green-900.
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