We all know about gold and silver being early economic engines in Colorado. But what about prom corsages and bridal bouquets?
The dianthus caryophyllus, the ruffled, multi-petalled flower bloomed a multi-million-dollar industry and catapulted Colorado into the "Carnation Capital of the World" for several decades.
Then poof. Carnations disappeared. Why?
That was Carol Heepke's question, so she asked CPR's Colorado Wonders about it. And it's a good time to answer her: Next weekend is the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival.
Colorado's carnation story is a fascinating one that includes free shipments of the flowers to Mamie Eisenhower, advertisements in Vogue magazine, and cutting-edge research from a local university that later ironically helped speed up the demise of the Colorado carnation.
Why was Colorado a prime location for growing carnations?
The climate was perfect. Many hours of direct, high-altitude sunlight, warm days and cool nights. An irrigation ditch built in the 1880s brought water from Platte River Canyon into Denver. That allowed greenhouses to be built and the floral industry grew rapidly. The blooms were delivered by horse-drawn carriages warmed by charcoal heaters in the winter to keep them from freezing, according to a Colorado State University paper on the industry.
Those were the early years. Things really took off in 1921, when a shell-pink flower called the "Denver" won a bronze medal at the National Flower Show. One hundred of the "Denver" carnations were sent to the White House for Warren Harding's inauguration. The president-elect wore a Colorado carnation in his lapel.
Read more at cpr.org