You are here:

State Flowers

For all states, the state flowers represent history, a symbol of time and tradition, of passion and work.

Dating back to the 1800s, states began to form their own personalities, identifying themselves with their own flags, state flowers, state trees, state birds, and even their own nicknames. Each state adopted things that every resident or tourist could identify with the state's name, effectively branding the state and making it memorable for all.

Legislatures, residents, historians combed the world for the perfect flower to represent their state, but many states, such as California's bursting red poppy, were able to find their perfect flowers in their own backyards.

In fact, two states found a state flower that isn't a flower at all. Read on to learn about state flowers, and to find the two states that thought outside of the box.


State Flowers Guides

  • State nicknames

    The Cornhusker State, the Evergreen State, the Last Frontier…State nicknames can be as wacky or original as the state itself. Just as a nickname helps define a person, so it does for an entire state. Read on to find your state's nickname.
  • State Birds

    As with state trees, the feathered friends of every state tend to be indigenous to at least the region. State birds are chosen for a variety of reasons: looks, sounds, commonality, or even individuality.
  • State trees: Rooted in local history

    Since the beginning of history, trees have been revered in religions and cultures as recorders of time and history, or even as an element that holds mysteries and intrigue. Druids considered certain trees sacred; Native Americans believed some trees held mystical powers.
  • State flowers: beauty, pride, and history

    From the beautiful to the bizarre, state flowers have long given individuality to each state. And because each flower is rooted in symbology, each state flower was chosen as a symbol of history for the state.