Dandelion
A yellow crayon colour named after the dandelion flower
Dandelion is a yellow shade used by Crayola for crayons, first introduced in 1990. Its name comes from the dandelion flower, and it replaced the older 'orange-yellow' crayon. Dandelion was retired in 2017 but returned as a limited edition in 2025 and became a regular colour again in 2026.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- First used as a colour name in English in 1919
- Introduced as a Crayola crayon in 1990
- Replaced the 'orange-yellow' crayon in the Crayola range
- Retired in 2017 and brought back in 2025 and 2026
What colour is Dandelion?
Dandelion is a shade of yellow, most familiar as a crayon colour from Crayola. It is a bright, warm yellow, similar to the petals of the dandelion flower. The colour stands out for its cheerful appearance and sits between yellow and orange-yellow in the crayon range. It is not a basic colour word, but a named shade.
Where does Dandelion come from?
The name dandelion for this colour comes from the yellow flower found in many places. The first known use of dandelion as a colour name in English dates to 1919. Crayola introduced their Dandelion crayon in 1990, replacing their previous 'orange-yellow' shade. The colour was retired in 2017 to make space for a new blue, but returned in 2025 and 2026.
How Dandelion is defined
Dandelion as a crayon is made using standard crayon manufacturing methods, with pigments chosen to match the bright yellow of the dandelion flower. The exact pigments are not specified in the sources. The colour is also produced in pencil and marker form by Crayola.
Where Dandelion is used
Dandelion is mainly used in art, especially by children using Crayola crayons. It is also available as a coloured pencil and marker. The colour is chosen for its bright, cheerful tone, making it popular for drawings that need a strong yellow.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiThe national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.
Festival and celebrationPrideJoySource: Brazil national football teamShades and relatives of Dandelion
There are other yellow shades in the Crayola range, such as 'orange-yellow', which Dandelion replaced. The traditional version of dandelion is slightly different in tone, as noted by colour standards. Dandelion may be confused with other bright yellows but is distinct in Crayola's naming.
Colours that go with Dandelion
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FED85D. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Dandelion
What colour is Dandelion?
Dandelion is a bright, warm yellow shade, similar to the petals of the dandelion flower. It is used as a crayon colour by Crayola.
Where does the name Dandelion come from?
The name comes from the dandelion flower, known for its bright yellow petals. The colour name was first recorded in English in 1919.
When was Dandelion added to Crayola crayons?
Dandelion was introduced as a Crayola crayon colour in 1990, replacing 'orange-yellow'.
Has Dandelion ever been removed from Crayola's range?
Yes, Dandelion was retired in 2017 to make room for a new blue crayon but was brought back as a limited edition in 2025 and returned to regular packs in 2026.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Dandelion (crayon color)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
More of the yellow family
All of yellow
#FFFDD0
Cream
A soft yellow-white named after the top layer of milkNamed shade
#C2B280
Ecru
A pale, greyish yellow once named for unbleached linenNamed shade
#FFA700
Chrome yellow
A bright yellow pigment made from lead chromate, once popular in art and industryPigment
#FFF700
Lemon
A vivid yellow named for the colour of lemon fruitNamed shade
#006B3C
Cadmium pigments
A family of strong yellow, orange, red and green pigments made from cadmium compoundsPigment
#F4F0EC
Isabelline
A pale grey-yellow or fawn colour seen in animal coats and old fashionNamed shade
#FFD800
School bus yellow
A yellow made for North American school buses to stand out and be seenNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +2
#CFB53B
Old gold
A deep, dark yellow seen in sport, politics and traditionNamed shade · 🇬🇪 Georgia