Denver Daisy legacy project from Denver Botanic Gardens/Plant Select
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper today unveiled the Denver Daisy, a one-of-a-kind flower created and named in
honor of the City’s 150th anniversary. Hickenlooper introduced the flower at the Denver Botanic Gardens in celebration of Earth Day.
“For our 150th anniversary, we wanted to create a legacy and give something back to Denver,” said Hickenlooper. “What better gift to the people of Denver than a new flower – one that can be planted every year for generations to come?”
The Denver Daisy is a totally new cultivated variety (“cultivar”) created specially for the commemoration of the City’s sesquicentennial, which will occur Nov. 22. Officially named Rudbeckia Denver Daisy, the new flower is based on the Rudbeckia hirta, a daisy native to Colorado when the pioneers founded Denver 150 years ago, and Rudbeckia ‘Prairie Sun.’
Perfectly suited for Colorado’s arid climate, the Denver Daisy thrives in hot, sunny areas with minimal moisture and quickly develops eye-catching golden flowers with a deep-red color encircling a dark-brown center.
“If we plant the Daisy this spring, by August when the Democratic National Convention comes to town, our City will be awash in color – Denver Daisies everywhere,” Hickenlooper added. “By planting today, we can make Denver greater, greener and more sustainable. The Denver Daisy will be among our more visible legacies for us and for future generations.”
Thanks to the support of presenting sponsor KeyBank, 300,000 packets of the Denver Daisy will be distributed free throughout the City, starting today. Seed packets are now available at all metro-area KeyBank branches, most metro-area garden centers, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Historical Society and other locations throughout Denver. Packets are also being distributed today to K-5 students in Denver Public Schools. Additionally, every copy of the May issue of 5280 magazine, which hits newsstands this Friday, will contain a seed packet.
The City of Denver has partnered in the Denver Daisy project with Plant Select, Hardy Boy Bedding Plants, Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University and members of the green industry of Colorado.
Beginning mid-May, fully grown Denver Daisies will be transferred into select City-maintained landscaping areas and should be in bloom within a couple of weeks of planting. Other major organizations, such as the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District and Downtown Denver Partnership, also will plant Denver Daisies in landscaping beds in their respective jurisdictions.