State flowers: beauty, pride, and history
Growing history
Before women were allowed to vote nationally, Washington State let them, and only them, vote on what people would come to associate with the state's flower for decades to come: the coast rhododendron.
In 1892, the state was one of the last to officially name its state flower. After hundreds of suggestions were put through, more than 15,000 women across the state voted in voting booth. And 53% of those women voted on the beautiful pink and white rhododendron.
That's just one example of how state flowers have defined a state, represented its history, or even helped push forward a political movement. Because shortly thereafter, women across the country began rallying to get their voices heard about political climates outside of state gardens.
The purple lilac in New Hampshire is a representation of the state's residents' hardy character. The Bitterroot became Montana's state flower only after a member of the Montana Women's Christian Temperance Union crusaded to convince the legislature to listen up, and allow all people, men and women, to vote for the flower.
California's golden poppy is rooted in the state's hillsides from north to south, a beautiful yellow flower that mimic's the states seemingly everlasting sunshine.
Not exactly a flower, but…
Maine’s white pine cone and tassel is not a flower at all, but it was selected as the state's flower in 1894, after officials saw the cone in a floral emblem at the World Fair.
The two large divisions in the plant species are flowering plants, angiosperms, or plants with cones, gymnosperms. All other states have flowers for their actual state flower, but Maine decided to be a little different. So technically, Maine has a state gymnosperm!
Oklahoma's floral emblem, the Mistletoe, is not actually a flower either. But it is a flowering plant, which is close enough. Actually, Oklahoma is one of several states that have a state flower, a state wildflower, and a state emblem. For clarity's sake, the list is the state's official floral emblem. But most states don't differentiate between the two.
Match your state to its state flower
- Alabama: Camelia
- Alaska: Forget-me-not
- Arizona: Saguaro cactus blossom
- Arkansas: Apple blossom
- Colorado: Rocky Mountain columbine
- Connecticut: Mountain laurel
- District of Columbia: American Beauty rose
- Delaware: Peach blossom
- Florida: Orange blossom
- Georgia: Cherokee rose
- Hawaii: Pua aloalo
- Idaho: Syringa mock orange
- Illinois: Purple violet
- Indiana: Peony
- Iowa: Wild prairie rose
- Kansas: Sunflower
- Kentucky: Goldenrod
- Louisiana: Magnolia
- Maine: Eastern white pine tassel and cone
- Maryland: Black-eyed Susan
- Massachusetts: Mayflower
- Michigan: Apple blossom
- Minnesota: Pink and white ladyslipper
- Mississippi: Magnolia
- Missouri: Hawthorn
- Montana: Bitterroot
- Nebraska: Goldenrod
- Nevada: Sagebrush
- New Hampshire: Purple lilac
- New Jersey: Violet
- New Mexico: Yucca
- New York: Rose
- North Carolina: American Dogwood
- North Dakota: Wild prairie rose
- Northern Marianas: Plumeria
- Ohio: Scarlet carnation
- Okalahoma: Mistletoe
- Oregon: Oregon grape
- Pennsylvania: Mountain laurel
- Rhode Island: Violet
- South Carolina: Yellow Jessamine
- South Dakota: Pasque flower
- Tennessee: Iris
- Texas: Texas bluebonnet
- Utah: Sego lily
- Vermont: Red clover
- Virginaia: Flowering dogwood
- Washington: Coast rhododendron
- Wisconsin: Wood violet
- Wyoming: Indian paintbrush
Unlike a lot of the state’s flowers, all but one of the state trees in the 50 states are indigenous to the state. But just like the flowers, each state tree is rooted in history. Read on to find your state tree.