Flower of the Year Campaign in Germany

In 1979, Loki Schmidt (1919-2010), the spouse of former German Federal chancellor Helmut Schmidt, founded the Stiftung zum Schutze gefährdeter Pflanzen ("Foundation for the protection of endangered plants") which became the Stiftung Naturschutz Hamburg und Stiftung zum Schutze gefährdeter Pflanzen ("Foundation Nature Conservancy Hamburg and for the protection of endangered plants") in 1985. One of the main purposes of this organisation is a public awareness campaign about the ecological value of wildflowers. This campaign which celebrate a wildflower of the year was established in 1980. The announcement for the flower of the year is often published in October and events to protect the critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable wildflowers are organised. In 2003, Schmidt published a book about this campaign with watercolour illustrations of the plants by herself and a foreword titled "With Loki's eyes" written by Siegfried Lenz.

List of wildflowers announced as Flower of the Year in Germany

Year	Scientific name	English name	German name	Image
1980	Gentiana pneumonanthe	Marsh gentian	Lungen-Enzian
1981	Narcissus pseudonarcissus	Wild daffodil	Gelbe Narzisse
1982	Cephalanthera rubra	Red helleborine	Rotes Waldvögelein
1983	Tulipa sylvestris	Wild tulip	Wildtulpe
1984	Adonis aestivalis	Summer pheasant's-eye	Sommer-Adonisröschen
1985	Aquilegia vulgaris	Common columbine	Wald-Akelei
1986	Arnica montana	Mountain arnica	Arnika
1987	Eryngium maritimum	Sea holly	Stranddistel
1988	Calla palustris	Bog arum	Sumpf-Calla, Drachenwurz
1989	Dianthus carthusianorum	Carthusian pink	Karthäuser-Nelke
1990	Jasione montana	Sheep's bit scabious	Sandknöpfchen
1991	Andromeda polifolia	Bog-rosemary	Rosmarinheide
1992	Drosera rotundifolia	Common sundew	Rundblättriger Sonnentau
1993	Fritillaria meleagris	Snake's-head fritillary	Schachbrettblume
1994	Dactylorhiza majalis	Western marsh orchid	Breitblättriges Knabenkraut
1995	Trollius europaeus	Globe-flower	Trollblume
1996	Pulsatilla vulgaris	Pasque-flower	Echte Küchenschelle, Kuhschelle
1997	Carlina acaulis	Stemless carline thistle	Silberdistel
1998	Stratiotes aloides	Water soldier	Krebsschere, Wasseraloe
1999	Caltha palustris	Marsh marigold	Sumpfdotterblume
2000	Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum	Purple gromwell	Purpurblauer Steinsame
2001	Geranium sanguineum	Bloody cranesbill	Blutroter Storchschnabel
2002	Viola riviniana	Common dog-violet	Hain-Veilchen
2003	Agrostemma githago	Common corncockle	Kornrade
2004	Soldanella alpina	Alpine snowbell	Alpenglöckchen
2005	Rhinanthus angustifolius	Greater yellow-rattle	Großer Klappertopf
2006	Cardamine pratensis	Cuckoo flower	Wiesen-Schaumkraut
2007	Geum rivale	Water avens	Bach-Nelkenwurz
2008	Carduus nutans	Nodding thistle	Nickende Distel
2009	Cichorium intybus	Common chicory	Wegwarte
2010	Iris sibirica	Siberian iris	Sibirische Schwertlilie
2011	Narthecium ossifragum	Bog asphodel	Moorlilie
2012	Dianthus deltoides	Maiden pink	Heidenelke
2013	Anemone hepatica	Common hepatica	Leberblümchen
2014	Butomus umbellatus	Flowering rush	Schwanenblume
2015	Succisa pratensis	Devil's-bit	Gewöhnlicher Teufelsabbiss
2016	Primula veris	Cowslip	Echte Schlüsselblume
2017	Papaver rhoeas	Common poppy	Klatschmohn
2018	Veronica longifolia	Garden speedwell	Langblättriger Ehrenpreis

References

• Loki Schmidt (2003). Die Blumen des Jahres [The Flowers of the Year] (in German). Hamburg: Hoffmann und Campe. ISBN 978-3-455-09395-7.
• "Blume des Jahres" [Flower of the Year] (in German). Stiftung Naturschutz Hamburg und Stiftung Loki Schmidt. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.