Flower Power Rocks: Con Edison Seeds First New York City Wildflower Week

April 16, 2008 – It takes a wildflower to make a bird, a forest, and an ecosystem. 

To celebrate the diversity of native flora thriving in the five boroughs, Con Edison is sponsoring the first New York City Wildflower Week May 3-10.

NYC Wildflower Week celebrates all things green and wild in the Big Apple – the hundreds of native flowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses that are nestled in the five boroughs. It's a weeklong event of inspired environmental learning – with dozens of free activities, walks, and talks for all New Yorkers to enjoy.

Organized by the Torrey Botanical Society, there will be botanical walks in each borough, lectures about the rich diversity of wildflowers found throughout the city, and children’s day activities.

Did you know:

• Wildflowers include more than violets and asters – there are also flowering trees, shrubs, vines, and grasses;
• New York City has a higher percentage of open space than any major city in the United States;
• Staten Island is home to one of 14 patches of the rare Torrey’s mountainmint, which Con Edison helped preserve by relocating a utility pole during an installation for new electrical service; and
• The five boroughs are home to more than 40 percent of New York State's rare and endangered plant species.

To find out more about NYC Wildflower Week activities, visit www.nycwildflowerweek.org

Con Edison supports organizations that share the company’s concern for preserving and protecting the environment through conservation and beautification projects, as well as through educational and career-development programs. It also recognizes the importance of conservation, recycling, reclamation efforts, and pollution prevention. Visit www.coned.com/thepowerofgreen or call 1-800-75CONED to find more information about going green.