Which Flower Represents Your State?
by Wendy Aiton
http://www.flowerwa.com
Every state in the United States has an official state
flower, usually chosen by an act of the legislature. Many
have tales behind their choosing that read like a fine
suspense thriller.
Some states chose flowers that are the only natural choice.
What flower could better represent Massachusetts, home of
the Pilgrims, than the mayflower? And yet, the
Massachusetts state legistlature, meeting in 1918, were
hesitant. The bill to name the mayflower as the state
flower was followed quickly by another to recognize the
water lily instead. Other bills followed, and in the end,
the legislature handed the decision to the state Deparment
of Agriculture, who handed it to the Department of
Education, who passed it on to the schoolchildren of the
Commonwealth. The children voted two-to-one to adopt the
mayflower, and it was named officially on May 1, 1918.
The Massachusetts mayflower is on the endangered species
list, which grants it particular restrictions against being
picked or destroyed. It shares that with the state flower
of Colorado - the white and lavender columbine. In 1925,
the state's General Assembly passed a law making it the
duty of all citizens to protect the columbine. Further, it
is against the law to dig up any columbine on public land
or to pick more than 25 columbine flowers per day.
3. It's not unusual for a state to change its mind about
its official state flower, but one state holds the record
for being indecisive. Which state changed its state flower
no less than four times in the course of its history?
4. Very often, states chose the blossom of an important
food crop or export for its state. How many state flowers
that are fruit blossoms can you name?
Violet - and blue - are popular colors for state flowers.
The official state flowers include four that name violets,
as well as New Hampshire's purple lilac, and Tennesee's
iris.
Of the other states that have changed their official flower
the record holder has got to be Indiana. The legislators of
the Hoosier state chose no less than four different flowers
to represent their state. Originally, the carnation was the
state flower of Indiana. In 1931, the state legislature
chose to recognize the zinnia instead. That lasted nearly
a quarter of a century. In 1957, the legislators changed
the state flower twice - first to the dogwood blossom, and
finally, to the flowers that represent the state to this
day - the peony.
7. Speaking of plants that aren't technically 'flowers',
can you name two cacti that are currently state flowers
and the states they represent?
While some states protect their flowers with legislation,
Minnesota goes further than most. It's illegal to pick
the showy lady's slipper, which isn't that unusual. What is
different is the fact that in 1990, the governor of
Minnesota named an 81 mile length of highway 11 a
'wildflower route', and the state's highway department
resolved to only expand the road to the south to preserve
the plants on the northern side of the road.
The remaining state flowers are: Alabama, camellia; Alaska,
forget-me-not; Arizonia, saguaro cactus blossom; Arkansas,
apple blossom; California, golden poppy; Colorado, mountain
columbine; Connecticut, mountain laurel; Delaware, peach
blossom; Florida, orange blossom; Georgia, Cherokee rose;
Hawaii, red hibiscus; Idaho, syringa; Illinois, violet;
Indiana, peony; Iowa, wild rose; Kansas, sunflower;
Kentucky, goldenrod; Louisiana, magnolia; Maine, pine cone
and tassel; Maryland, black-eyed Susan; Massachusetts,
mayflower; Michigan, apple blossom; Minnesota,
lady-slipper; 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, dogwood;
North Dakota, prairie rose; Ohio, red carnation; Oklahoma,
mistletoe; Oregon, Oregon grape; Pennsylvania, mountain
laurel; Rhode Island, violet; South Carolina, yellow
jasmine; South Dakota, pasqueflower; Tennessee, iris;
Texas, bluebonnet; Utah, sego lily; Vermont, red clover;
Virginia, dogwood; Washington, coast rhododendron; West
Virginia, rhododendron; Wisconsin, violet; Wyoming, Indian
paintbrush.
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