Wheaton adopting hydrangea as official city flower
Town leaders last year talked about organizing a flower exchange between Wheaton and its two sister cities overseas.
There was just one problem: Wheaton didn't have a preferred blossom.
That's expected to change Monday night when city council members vote on a proposal to make the Endless Summer hydrangea the official flower of Wheaton.
"It think it's a nice touch," Councilman Tom Mouhelis said. "They're cute flowers."
Sarah Meisels, a member of the Sister City Commission, recommended the Endless Summer during a meeting with city officials last month. But first, she needed to be sure Wheaton didn't already have a city flower.
"Sometimes, you get something like that and then everybody forgets about it," Meisels said.
After determining there was no record of a city flower, Meisels turned to Joan Reuss to help her suggest one.
Reuss said she decided to poll dozens of garden club members in town. The Endless Summer hydrangea was the overwhelming favorite, she said.
"It's the new buzz plant," Meisels said. "All the nurseries have them right now. So they are very popular."
Reuss said many gardeners like the Endless Summer because it's easy to care for and is capable of tolerating both cold temperatures and hot climates. Its flowers can be pink, lavender or blue.
"I am kind of surprised Wheaton doesn't already have a city flower," Reuss said. "A number of cities have them and, of course, all the states have a flower."
Meisels said her hope is that more Wheaton residents will buy Endless Summer hydrangeas and display them in their yards. The city also might be able to do that proposed flower exchange with sister cities Karlskoga in Sweden and Wheaton Aston in England.
Wheaton selected Karlskoga in 1973 because both communities were about the same size and shared similar cultural traditions, including a municipal band.
In 1990, the city made a connection with Wheaton Aston after English representatives asked to become a sister city because of the shared name.