The Stunning Colours of Nature: Yellow
Yellow is one of nature’s oldest colours, even prehistoric cave paintings show pigments using yellow ochre. Known to symbolise happiness and optimism, for humans it’s the colour most visible to the human eye from a distance (why it’s used for school buses and safety vests).
Yellow Hues of Nature
Yellow is often a colour on bird feathers, to attract a mate. In nature, yellow is used more as a colour to attract pollinators. Read how to grow your own cheerful sunflowers!
Autumn leaves can also be yellow, and of course, the sun (which is actually a star) is bright yellow!
In China, there is even a ‘yellow river’, the water coloured by the huge amount of sediment discharged into it, as the river flows through the Loess Plateau.
Yellow Found in Foods (carotenoids)
Many foods are also yellow (bananas, lemons), due to carotenoids. Many birds have yellow feathers, due to consuming carotenoid-rich foods.
Yellow as a Deterrent
The golden poison dart frog (from Columbia) is possibly the most poisonous creature on earth (it can kill 20,000 mice or 10 people, even from touching it). And yes, it’s yellow. Despite never having actually killed anyone, these frogs are now endangered due to being poached or used for the pet trade.
