It’s time to plant the City Flower in gardens throughout Shelton. The Shelton Board of Alderman designated the Orange Coneflower (rudbeckia fulgida) the City Flower in 2016. The Olde Ripton Garden Club is encouraging residents and businesses to grow this flower in their gardens around the City this coming spring just as they did last year when it was introduced.

Rudbeckia fulgida “Goldsturm’ is a large, daisy-like flower named for it orange tinged petals in keeping with Shelton School’s colors. It is easy to grow and can be grown in containers or naturalized in meadows and planted freely around homes. The Orange Coneflower is a native plant that will grow readily in our area and it is a perennial assuring that it will return to our gardens year after year. It is attractive to birds, bees and many pollinators that are needed for our gardens to thrive; it blooms from midsummer through the fall; and provides a long season of color.    

For more information about the City Flower, please visit www.olderiptongardenclub.org or visit a nursery in our area.

The Olde Ripton Garden Club will be selling the flower at their annual plant sale on May 20 at St. Paul’s Church from 9 am – 12 noon.