Representatives from Vote WildflowerNYC, an initiative to establish an official wildflower of New York City, announced the winner of Vote WildflowerNYC, a campaign to establish an official wildflower of New York City on Friday, Nov. 10, with Manhattan coming out on top. The Bronx entry finished in fourth place.  

 

As reported, public voting ended on Election Day, Nov. 7, for New York City’s official wildflower, based on five plant species / floral candidates, each representing a New York City borough, after seven and a half months of voting and over 7,413 votes submitted.

 

The campaign launched in March 2023 when five institutions, the Brooklyn Bridge Park, Friends of the High Line, New York Botanical Garden, Queens Botanical Garden and Staten Island Museum, nominated floral candidates to represent their home boroughs.

 

The results are as follows:

Wildflower Candidate – Borough	Total Number of Votes
Butterfly Milkweed – Manhattan	2568
Wild Columbine – Brooklyn	1720
Giant Sunflower – Queens	1501
Spicebush – Bronx	918
Pinxter Azalea – Staten Island	706

 

 

Reacting to the news, Richard Hayden, the High Line’s director of horticulture, said, “We are thrilled that the High Line’s nominee for official wildflower of New York City has won the popular vote in the WildflowerNYC campaign.” He added, “It’s not surprising that New Yorkers found a connection with the beautiful Asclepias tuberosa. A native species, butterfly milkweed is bright, resilient, and plays an important role in nurturing biodiversity—enduring qualities intrinsic to the spirit of New York. It’s our hope that butterfly milkweed’s win will bring further attention to the essential work of planting and preserving native plants in New York City, especially critical plants like native milkweeds that support key species like monarch butterflies.”

 

Meanwhile, NYC Wildflower Week director Marielle Anzelone, who is managing the initiative, said, “My heartfelt thanks to our partners for their participation and dedication to the campaign’s success.” She added, “Our election clearly shows that New Yorkers care about local nature issues. We’ll build on this success in the next phase of our campaign—working with the New York City Council on legislation to designate this winning wildflower as an official emblem of our city.”

 

Norwood News has reached out to NYBG for comment and will update this story upon receipt of any feedback.

 

We asked the organizers of the contest if it was an annual event, and were informed that it is not. “The next phase is to take the winner to NYC Council for legislation to make it official,” said Marielle Anzelone, the Vote_WildflowerNYC campaign manager. “We hope to see a resolution presented and voted on in the 2024 legislative session.”

 

Keep smiling…..The Bronx is still the official birthplace of Hip Hop, and lots of other great stuff!