Peony or Rose? Oshawa residents to decide on official city flower

With the success over the past few decades of a festival named in its honour, the Peony may have the edge, but the Rose, with 69 years as the City of Oshawa’s ‘Official’ flower, has the history.

The city is now asking residents to make a choice and to share their feedback on the proposed change of the City’s official flower from the rose to the peony.

In celebration of the Year of the Garden 2022, a request from the Oshawa Garden Club was made to City Council to change the official flower of the city to the peony. Oshawa features one of Canada’s largest contemporary peony collections in bloom at the Oshawa Valley Botanical Garden located adjacent to Children’s Arena.

But in 1953, at the request of the same Oshawa Garden Club (then known as the Oshawa Horticultural Society) the rose was adopted as the official flower of Oshawa by City Council and is currently represented on the City of Oshawa’s flag by two circles of stylized petals.

To have your say on the on the proposed change visit Connect Oshawa (ConnectOshawa.ca/Cityflower) to complete an online feedback form or on paper at Service Oshawa, located at City Hall at 50 Centre St. S.

Feedback will be received until noon on Monday, April 11 and will be considered in a report to the Community Services Committee.