Tavares names blue plumbago its official city flower after brief color‑debate; council approves 3‑1

The Tavares City Council on May 21 adopted a resolution designating the blue plumbago (sky flower) as the official flower of the city.

Staff told the council the recommendation came from the city’s participation in America in Bloom (AIB) evaluations; staff said the blue plumbago is drought tolerant, Florida‑friendly, attracts pollinators and blooms for much of the year, which fits the city’s horticultural and maintenance criteria. Staff said there is no fiscal impact to adopting the flower and provided University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences documentation in the agenda packet.

Several council members praised the plant’s drought tolerance and year‑round bloom. One council member questioned the pictured variety’s hue and asked whether a different blue variety (for example, a blue hydrangea) had been considered; staff said they evaluated several varieties and chose the plumbago because it met land‑development, maintenance and nursery availability requirements. Another council member said they hoped residents and businesses would plant the same flower to create visual unity around the city.

A council member who said they are colorblind said they opposed because they could not reliably identify the color; that member stated, “Can I just not do it because I can't see colors correctly?” The council voted to adopt the resolution; the mayor announced the measure passed 3–1.

Staff said adopting an official flower will help the city’s AIB evaluations and that nurseries’ availability was a factor in the selection. The resolution directs staff to record the blue plumbago as the official city flower; staff said there are no immediate fiscal impacts and that the city may encourage public plantings.