Fifty thousand daffodils bloom as CFO celebrates its 50th anniversary

By the Community Foundation of the Ozarks

SPRINGFIELD – Mass plantings of 50,000 daffodils are now blooming in Ste. Genevieve and more than 40 rural communities across central and southern Missouri.

This regionwide beautification effort, part of the 50th anniversary celebration for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, will be on display for the next several weeks and will rebloom for years to come.

Daffodils bloom at Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park. The mass planting at the park is part of 50,000 daffodils that were planted in Springfield and more than 40 rural communities across central and southern Missouri — including the Cape Girardeau area, Perry County and Ste. Genevieve County — to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Daffodils were selected because they naturally spread and multiply over time as a symbol of place-based philanthropy and planned giving. The bulbs were planted last fall by a wide variety of community volunteers and supported by grants from the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation, administered by the CFO in partnership with Commerce Trust Company.

Across the region, daffodils are located in the communities served by these regional affiliate foundations:

“We are so pleased to join with our affiliates in commemorating 50 years of philanthropy with these vibrant displays of growth and renewal for years to come,” CFO President Brian Fogle said.

To learn more about the project, visit www.cfozarks.org/daffodils