Flower of the Year Campaign in Germany


In 1979, Loki Schmidt, the spouse of former German Federal chancellor Helmut Schmidt, founded the Stiftung zum Schutze gefährdeter Pflanzen which became the Stiftung Naturschutz Hamburg und Stiftung zum Schutze gefährdeter Pflanzen 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

YearScientific nameEnglish nameGerman nameImage
1980Gentiana pneumonantheMarsh gentianLungen-Enzian
1981Narcissus pseudonarcissusWild daffodilGelbe Narzisse
1982Cephalanthera rubraRed helleborineRotes Waldvögelein
1983Tulipa sylvestrisWild tulipWildtulpe
1984Adonis aestivalisSummer pheasant's-eyeSommer-Adonisröschen
1985Aquilegia vulgarisCommon columbineWald-Akelei
1986Arnica montanaMountain arnicaArnika
1987Eryngium maritimumSea hollyStranddistel
1988Calla palustrisBog arumSumpf-Calla, Drachenwurz
1989Dianthus carthusianorumCarthusian pinkKarthäuser-Nelke
1990Jasione montanaSheep's bit scabiousSandknöpfchen
1991Andromeda polifoliaBog-rosemaryRosmarinheide
1992Drosera rotundifoliaCommon sundewRundblättriger Sonnentau
1993Fritillaria meleagrisSnake's-head fritillarySchachbrettblume
1994Dactylorhiza majalisWestern marsh orchidBreitblättriges Knabenkraut
1995Trollius europaeusGlobe-flowerTrollblume
1996Pulsatilla vulgarisPasque-flowerEchte Küchenschelle, Kuhschelle
1997Carlina acaulisStemless carline thistleSilberdistel
1998Stratiotes aloidesWater soldierKrebsschere, Wasseraloe
1999Caltha palustrisMarsh marigoldSumpfdotterblume
2000Lithospermum purpurocaeruleumPurple gromwellPurpurblauer Steinsame
2001Geranium sanguineumBloody cranesbillBlutroter Storchschnabel
2002Viola rivinianaCommon dog-violetHain-Veilchen
2003Agrostemma githagoCommon corncockleKornrade
2004Soldanella alpinaAlpine snowbellAlpenglöckchen
2005Rhinanthus angustifoliusGreater yellow-rattleGroßer Klappertopf
2006Cardamine pratensisCuckoo flowerWiesen-Schaumkraut
2007Geum rivaleWater avensBach-Nelkenwurz
2008Carduus nutansNodding thistleNickende Distel
2009Cichorium intybusCommon chicoryWegwarte
2010Iris sibiricaSiberian irisSibirische Schwertlilie
2011Narthecium ossifragumBog asphodelMoorlilie
2012Dianthus deltoidesMaiden pinkHeidenelke
2013Anemone hepaticaCommon hepaticaLeberblümchen
2014Butomus umbellatusFlowering rushSchwanenblume
2015Succisa pratensisDevil's-bitGewöhnlicher Teufelsabbiss
2016Primula verisCowslipEchte Schlüsselblume
2017Papaver rhoeasCommon poppyKlatschmohn
2018Veronica longifoliaGarden speedwellLangblättriger Ehrenpreis
2019Calluna vulgarisCommon HeatherBesenheide
2020Menyanthes trifoliataBogbeanFieberklee