Art, obsession, and identity
There are numerous species of flora found across the United States. But each state has one particular flower they deem special. So special in fact they are designated official state flowers. The reasons for this vary. But many blooms are actually voted for by local people, schoolchildren for example, or members of women's groups. The vast majority of official state flowers have maintained their status for decades, some for well over a century!
In this gallery you'll get to know every official state flower in US, along with its story. Click though and pick out the best of the bunch.
From 1927 to 1959, Alabama’s official state flower was the goldenrod. But in 1959, House Bill 124 declared: “The camellia is hereby designated and named as the state flower of Alabama.”
The alpine forget-me-not is a perennial found high in alpine meadows. It was picked as the state flower in 1949.
The Saguaro cactus blossom (Carnegiea gigantea) was named the official territorial flower in 1901, and adopted as state flower in 1931. Native to the Sonoran Desert, the largest cactus in the United States blooms in May and June.
The General Assembly of 1901 adopted the apple blossom as the state flower. At the time, Arkansas was one of the country’s largest producers of apples.
The poppy has been used by local California Indians for centuries as both a source of food and oil. Eschscholzia californica, also known as the flame flower (la amapola or copa de oro), has been California’s official state flower since 1903.
The Aquilegia coerulea, also known as the Colorado blue columbine, has been the state flower since 1899. In 1925 the General Assembly made it the duty of all state citizens to protect the bloom. To this day it is still illegal to pick the columbine from public land.
This fragrant and beautiful shrub with its white and pink blossoms can be found in the forests and fields of Connecticut. Known also by its scientific name Kalmia latifolia, it was designated the official state flower in 1907.
The Prunus persica was adopted as the state flower in 1895. At the time, Delaware had thousands of peach trees.
The fragrant orange blossom was designated Florida’s official state flower in 1909. Being a huge producer of the fruit, it’s easy to see why Florida adopted the beautiful white Citrus sinensis as its official flower.
The Rosa laevigata became the state’s official flower in 1916. The name honors the local Cherokee Indian community.
The hibiscus, also known as Pua Aloalo, became the official Territorial Flower of Hawaii in the 1920s. It was not until 1988 that the native yellow hibiscus became the official representative flower of the islands.
The Syringa became Idaho’s state flower in 1931. These white, fragrant flowers can mostly be found carpeting the state's hillsides.
The blue violet (Violet viola) became the official state flower in 1908, after being voted by schoolchildren as their favorite bloom a year prior. Eight species of blue-flowered violets can be found in Illinois.
The zinnia was Indiana’s state flower from 1931 to 1957. Then in 1957 the General Assembly adopted the peony as the official state flower. The paeonia blooms between May and June.
The wild rose became Iowa’s official state flower in 1897. Different types of wild rose can be found throughout the state.
The state flower since 1903, the Helianthus annuus can be spotted across the Great Plains in the summer. Kansas is home to eleven species of sunflower.
The goldenrod, also known as solidago, was voted the state’s official flower in 1926. The state is home to at least 30 species of this yellow wildflower.
The magnolia can be found extensively across Louisiana. It has been the state’s official flower since 1900. The evergreen magnolia trees blossom large, beautiful, and fragrant white flowers.
Maine adopted the white pine cone and tassel (Pinus strobus, linnaeus) as its official flower in 1895. The white pine is the largest conifer in the Northeast.
The Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) was designated the “Floral Emblem” of the state in 1918. These perennial daisies are members of the sunflower family.
Mayflower, also known as trailing arbutus and ground laurel, among other names, has been the official state flower of Massachusetts since 1918.
Like Arkansas, Michigan’s state flower is also the apple blossom. It has been a state symbol ever since 1897. Michigan ranks third in the country for apple production.
The pink and white lady slipper, also known as the showy lady’s slipper or queen’s lady slipper, has been the official state flower since 1902. This endangered wildflower has been protected by state law since 1925. It is illegal to pick, uproot, or unearth these plants.
The magnolia has also been adopted in Mississippi as a state flower, in fact since 1900. But it was only defined as such in 1952. In 1938, the magnolia tree was also declared Mississippi's official state tree.
Commonly found in its southern reaches, the white hawthorn blossom became the state flower of Missouri in 1923.
The bitterroot was voted in as the official state flower of Montana in 1895. The species was discovered by explorers Lewis and Clark in the western Montana valley. Native Americans use its roots as a source of food.
The goldenrod (Soldiago gigantea) was declared Nebraska’s state flower in 1895. This elongated perennial herb blooms from July through October.
The sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) was officially declared Nevada’s state flower in 1917. The flowers are an important source of food for sheep and cattle.
The purple lilac was imported from England in the mid-1700s and adopted as New Hampshire’s state flower in 1919.
The violet was designated the state flower of New Jersey by a resolution of the Legislature in 1913, but it was not until 1971 that the Viola sororia was recognized as the state’s official flower.
The Yucca flower has been New Mexico’s state flower since 1927. The blossom of the desert yucca plant was selected by the state’s schoolchildren and recommended by the New Mexico Federation of Women's Clubs.
The rose (of any color or variety) was declared the New York state flower in 1955. Roses are one of the most popular flowers in the world, and grow naturally throughout North America.
The flowering dogwood was voted in as the official flower of North Carolina in 1941. Dogwood trees are found in abundance across the state.
The wild prairie rose has been the official state flower of North Dakota ever since 1907. The Rosa arkansana can be found sprouting along roadsides, in meadows, and across pastureland.
The state of Ohio adopted the Dianthus caryophyllus as its official flower in 1904. Ohio also has an official state wildflower: the white trillium.
While the mistletoe has been the state floral emblem since 1893, the Oklahoma rose has been the official state flower since 2004. Oklahoma also recognizes a state wildflower: the Indian blanket.
The Oregon grape was voted in as the official state flower in 1899. The shrub is native to the Pacific Coast and the Cascades.
The mountain laurel became the state’s official flower in 1933. This evergreen shrub is native to the eastern United States.
The common blue violet has been the state flower of Rhode Island since 1897. But it wasn’t until 1968 that it was designated the official state flower. In 2001, a bill updated the Latin name of the state flower from Viola palmate to Viola sororia.
The yellow jessamine was adopted by South Carolina as the official state flower in 1924. The Gelsemium sempervirens is found widely across the territory.
South Dakota declared the American pasqueflower its official state flower in 1903. The flowering of this member of the buttercup family is a sign that spring is arriving in South Dakota.
The iris was named the state cultivated flower in 1933. Tennessee also recognizes two state wildflowers: the Purple passionflower and the Tennessee purple coneflower.
The bluebonnet became the state flower of Texas in 1901. The flower grows mostly across central and south Texas. Ennis was designated the official bluebonnet city of Texas in 1997.
The sego lily was declared the state floral emblem in 1911. The flower can be found on open grass and sage rangelands in the Great Basin of Utah.
The red clover has been the official state flower of Vermont since 1894, and is a vibrant symbol of the state’s countryside.
Virginia adopted the American dogwood as the official state flower in 1918. The dogwood was also declared Virginia's state tree in 1956.
Washington women selected the coast rhododendron as the state flower in 1892 (though it was not made official until 1959). The original selection was made with the intention of entering a floral exhibit at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.
Rhododendron maximum was named the state flower of West Virginia in 1903. This evergreen shrub of the heath family was voted the winning bloom by schoolchildren in a local poll.
The wood violet became Wisconsin’s official state flower on Arbor Day in 1909. Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, also adopted the violet as their state flower.
The Indian paintbrush, or painted pup, was adopted as the official state flower of Wyoming in 1917.
Sources: (50states) (State Symbols USA) (USA Today)
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There are numerous species of flora found across the United States. But each state has one particular flower they deem special. So special in fact they are designated official state flowers. The reasons for this vary. But many blooms are actually voted for by local people, schoolchildren for example, or members of women's groups. The vast majority of official state flowers have maintained their status for decades, some for well over a century!
In this gallery you'll get to know every official state flower in US, along with its story. Click though and pick out the best of the bunch.