Category Archives: State Flowers

The pink and white Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium reginae) was selected as Minnesota’s state flower in 1902. This was after some initial confusion 1893 when Cypripedium calceolus, a burgandy and yellow Lady’s Slipper, was originally named the state flower. What was the cause of the confusion? Well, as it turns out,...

Michigan and Arkansas have something in common. They share the same state flower – the Apple Blossom. Since Michigan is the third largest producer of apples in the US, this flower is a fitting choice. But not just any apple blossom could make the cut as Michigan’s floral representative. In...

Few flowers say southern grace and charm like the Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), so it comes as no surprise that it was chosen as Louisiana’s state flower in 1900. Louisiana shares this gorgeous flower with Mississippi, where it was selected to be the state flower in 1938. The Magnolia tree is...

Goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) was chosen as Kentucky‘s state flower in 1926. Kentucky shares this cheerful state flower with Nebraska. Goldenrod is also the state wildflower of Illinois. The name Solidago comes from a Latin word meaning “to make whole or heal.” People who suffer from seasonal allergies may scoff at...

The wild Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), was adopted as the state flower of Kansas in 1903. Ironically, about a decade before this, lawmakers made efforts to eradicate the Sunflower, calling it a noxious weed. People sometimes joke about the drive through Kansas being dull, but those people have obviously never driven...