Thistle

#D8BFD8

What color is Thistle?

Thistle is a soft, muted purple with a noticeable grey-pink cast, hex #D8BFD8, close to the pale bloom of a dried lavender sprig. The grey softens what would otherwise be a straightforward lilac, giving the color a dusty, faded quality.

What is the meaning of the color Thistle?

Named after the prickly wildflower native to Europe and Asia, thistle became a recognized color term through its association with the Scottish national emblem, the thistle plant, which has appeared on Scottish royal emblems since at least the 15th century. The color entered standardized use in the late 20th century when it was included in the X11 color set in 1987, a system developed at MIT that became foundational to web design. That inclusion established thistle as a named digital color used by designers worldwide. The Crayola company later introduced a crayon of the same name, anchoring the color in a familiar consumer context.

RGB
216, 191, 216
HSL
300°, 24%, 80%
CMYK
0, 12, 0, 15
HSV
300°, 12%, 85%
Thistle color

What colors go with Thistle?

Colors that pair well with Thistle include:
Silver: cool, soft harmony
Deep Plum: rich, grounding depth
Ivory: warm, gentle contrast
Sage Green: muted, natural balance
Charcoal: quiet, modern anchor

Similar Colors

Conversions & Codes

Format Value CSS
HEX #D8BFD8 color: #D8BFD8;
RGB 216, 191, 216 color: rgb(216, 191, 216);
RGB Percentage 85%, 75%, 85% color: rgb(85%, 75%, 85%);
CMYK 0%, 12%, 0%, 15% Not supported in CSS
HSL 300°, 24%, 80% color: hsl(300, 24%, 80%);
HSV 300°, 12%, 85% Not supported in CSS
CIE-LAB 64, 5, -8 color: lab(64% 5 -8);
Decimal 14204888 Not supported in CSS

Color Variations

Shades

#D8C0D8
#C9A6C9
#B98DB9
#AA74AA
#985D98
#7E4E7E
#653E65
#4C2F4C

Tints

#F3ECF3
#EFE6EF
#ECDFEC
#E8D9E8
#E4D3E4
#E0CCE0
#DCC6DC
#D8C0D8

Tones

#D8C0D8
#D7C1D7
#D6C2D6
#D5C3D5
#D3C5D3
#D2C6D2
#D1C7D1
#D0C8D0

Hues

#D8C0D8
#D8C0C6
#D8CCC0
#D2D8C0
#C0D8C0
#C0D8D2
#C0CCD8
#C6C0D8

Color Harmonies

Analogous

#CCC0D8
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#D8BFD8
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#D8C0CC
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Complementary

#D8BFD8
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#C0D8C0
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Split Complementary

#D8BFD8
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#CCD8C0
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#C0D8CC
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Triadic

#D8BFD8
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#D8D8C0
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#C0D8D8
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Tetradic

#D8BFD8
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#D8CCC0
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#C0D8C0
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#C0CCD8
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Square

#D8BFD8
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#D8CCC0
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#C0D8C0
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#C0CCD8
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CSS & Dev Snippets

CSS
.thistle {
  color: #D8BFD8;
}
SCSS
$thistle: #D8BFD8;
RGB
rgb(216, 191, 216)

Accessibility & Contrast

White background

1.70:1
1.70
contrast ratio on a white background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element

Black background

12.36:1
12.36
contrast ratio on a black background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element

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