22-04-2025
San Diego could soon have a new official flower
(FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego could have a new official native flower if the city council approves the designation on Tuesday after a months-long campaign by a group that included public votes.
The campaign for a new official flower started in late winter under the name, Your City, Your Flower, by the San Diego Bird Alliance. •Video Above: Campaign for a new San Diego official flower (from March 2025)
A bracket-style competition was included, with blue-eyed grass named the winner in mid-April. The current official flower is the carnation, which was adopted by the city council in 1964.
Organizers of the campaign said the choice of flower helps promote the importance of native plants and wildlife, along with recognizing the Kumeyaay Native Americans who have long lived in the region.
Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) is also known as 'pasto de ojitos azules' in Spanish and kuushaaw in the Kumeyaay language, and is one of only two Irises native to San Diego.
It grows to about one foot in height, has purplish-blue flowers and grassy leaves, and is found throughout California, including elevations as high as 8,000 ft.
The city council will vote on the designation at its 10 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, Earth Day. If approved, the blue-eyed grass will join other flora symbols of the city, the Torrey pine and the jacaranda.
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