6 Cities That Claim to Be Flower Capitals

Flower Fields in Lompoc, California. Photo from here.

Last month, we covered cities that claim to be the Rose City, or some such extremely close variation. With so many cities across North America, it's a wonder that more of them don't strive to have a more unique nickname for their little slices of land.

Why be a mere flower city when you can be a capital? Some of the following might be slightly dubious, but noteworthy all the same…

Lompoc, California - The Flower Seed Capital of the World
Lompoc is located in Southern California, in Santa Barbara County. It’s home to Camp Cooke, an army training camp, and later was a test site for ballistic missiles. More notably, it’s home to the Valley of Flowers, a massive stretch of flowered fields, and according to this, over half the world’s flower seeds are grown in these fields. Today, the city is known as the City of Arts and Flowers.

Crested Butte, Colorado - The Wildflower Capital of Colorado
This charming town of about 1,500 is a popular spot for outdoor sports like mountain biking, hiking and skiing. In fact, the town lays claim to have invented mountain biking, and is home to that activity’s Hall of Fame. The area is also home to the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, which is held every July. Since 1990, it’s been officially designated as the Wildflower Capital of Colorado, by the state legislature.

Hearne, TX. From Wikipedia Creative Commons.

Hearne, Texas - Sunflower Capital of Texas
Hearne is a small city of about 4,500. The Texas State Legislature designated it as the state’s sunflower capital in 1997, owing to its history as a home of commercial sunflower production. According to this, the nickname has beendownplayed in recent years in favour of going with the “Crossroads of Texas,” due to its location between major cities Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.

Temple, Texas - Wildflower Capital of Texas
Temple, located in Central Texas, is home to about 65,000 residents. It was formed as a railroad town in the 1880s, and has had produced such luminaries as football legend “Mean” Joe Green, and actor Rip Torn. The city’s nickname is simply due to the large amount of wildflowers that grow in the area.

Tyler, TX, the Rose Capital of the World. Image from
Wikipedia Creative Commons.

Wasco, California - Rose Growing Capital of the World
Wasco has a well-earned nickname, as upwards of 55% of roses grown in the USA are grown in or around the city. The city is home to about 25,000 people, and also home to a large state prison.

Tyler, Texas - Rose Capital of the World
Tyler is a city of just under 100,000, which is home to the annual Texas Rose Festival. Former NFL Running Back Earl Campbell was nicknamed the Tyler Rose.

Flower Festivals Worth a Visit in 2014

The Canadian Tulip Festival

Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (and Gatineau, Quebec).
Date: May 9-19, 2014
The rundown:  After Canada provided shelter to the Princess Juliana of the Netherlands during World War II, the Dutch royal family decided to show their gratitude with an annual donation of tulips in perpetuity. While Ottawa is the third-coldest national capital in the world, the Tulip Festival marks the end of the winter weather as the flowers – and the city – spring to life. Over a million tulips are on display, drawing over 500,000 visitors yearly.
More information: tulipfestival.ca

National Cherry Blossom Festival

Location: Washington, DC, USA
Date: March 20 – April 13, 2014
The rundown: The Mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, gifted the American capitol with 3,000 Cherry Trees in 1912, as a symbol of the friendship between Japan and the United States. The first festival was held in 1935, and save for a few years during the second World War,

More information: www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/

The Rose Parade

Location: Pasadena, California, USA
Date: January 1, 2014
The rundown: Started in 1890, the parade has become an annual New Year’s tradition, featuring a large assortment of floats, horses and bands. The college football Rose Bowl game is usually played on the same day, and was actually started as a way to fund the parade itself. Last year’s parade featured 42 floats, 23 marching bands and 21 equestrian units.
More information: www.tournamentofroses.com/RoseParade.aspx

Feria de las Flores Medellin (Festival of the Flowers)

Location: Medellin, Colombia
Date: August, 2014
The rundown: Known as the most important social event of the year for Colombia’s second-largest city, the festival dates back to 1957. The week-long event includes a large parade of flowers, paegents, automobiles, a horse parade and a variety of concerts.
More information: www.feriadelasfloresmedellin.gov.co/en/

Jersey Battle of Flowers
Location: Jersey (Channel Islands)
Date: August 2014
The rundown: Started in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, the festival has become a mainstay on the small, beautiful island of Jersey since then. It consists of a parade of floats, and though there’s no “battle” element to it anymore, the name has stuck over the years (it is a pretty cool name, after all.) The festival has drawn over a million visitors over the years.
More information: www.battleofflowers.com