In 1979, Loki Schmidt (1919–2010), the spouse of former German Federal chancellor Helmut Schmidt, founded the ("Foundation for the protection of endangered plants") which became the ("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 1981 Narcissus pseudonarcissus Wild daffodil 1982 Cephalanthera rubra Red helleborine 1983 Tulipa sylvestris Wild tulip 1984 Adonis aestivalis Summer pheasant's-eye 1985 Aquilegia vulgaris Common columbine 1986 Arnica montana Mountain arnica 1987 Eryngium maritimum Sea holly 1988 Calla palustris Bog arum 1989 Dianthus carthusianorum Carthusian pink 1990 Jasione montana Sheep's bit scabious 1991 Andromeda polifolia Bog-rosemary 1992 Drosera rotundifolia Common sundew 1993 Fritillaria meleagris Snake's-head fritillary 1994 Dactylorhiza majalis Western marsh orchid 1995 Trollius europaeus Globe-flower 1996 Pulsatilla vulgaris Pasque-flower 1997 Carlina acaulis Stemless carline thistle 1998 Stratiotes aloides Water soldier 1999 Caltha palustris Marsh marigold 2000 Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum Purple gromwell 2001 Geranium sanguineum Bloody cranesbill 2002 Viola riviniana Common dog-violet 2003 Agrostemma githago Common corncockle 2004 Soldanella alpina Alpine snowbell 2005 Rhinanthus angustifolius Greater yellow-rattle 2006 Cardamine pratensis Cuckoo flower 2007 Geum rivale Water avens 2008 Carduus nutans Nodding thistle 2009 Cichorium intybus Common chicory 2010 Iris sibirica Siberian iris 2011 Narthecium ossifragum Bog asphodel 2012 Dianthus deltoides Maiden pink 2013 Anemone hepatica Common hepatica 2014 Butomus umbellatus Flowering rush 2015 Succisa pratensis Devil's-bit 2016 Primula veris Cowslip 2017 Papaver rhoeas Common poppy 2018 Veronica longifolia Garden speedwell 2019 Calluna vulgaris Common Heather 2020 Menyanthes trifoliata Bogbean 2021 Sanguisorba officinalis Great burnet
References
External links Official website of the Loki Schmidt Stiftung that initiated the Flower of the Year Campaign