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Which Flower Represents Your State?
by Wendy Aiton
http://www.flowerwa.com
What do the Wisconsin, Illinois, Rhode Island and New
Jersey have in common? Aside from all being states in the
United States of America, they share another distinction -
that of having named the violet as their state flower.
1. One common spring flower represents four states. Can you
name the state flower of Wisconsin, New Jersey, Rhode
Island and Illinois?
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.
The shy violet, for all its unassuming ways, is a popular
favorite. Four states - Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island
and Wisconsin - have chosen the woodland flower to
represent their state. Interestingly, in three of those
states it was schoolchildren who made the final choice.
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.
Indiana's fickle state legislature adopted no less than
four official flowers over the years. Originally, the
lawmakers chose the carnation as the state's flower, but
changed that in 1931, when they chose the zinnia to
represent their state. In 1957, they again changed their
minds and voted to recognize the dogwood blossom. On March
13, 1957, the legislature voted to name the peony as
Indiana's state flower - for now.
Other states have chosen flowers that symbolize an
important state crop. Delaware, for instance, chose the
peach blossom as its official flower during a time that the
state was a major exporter of fresh peaches. Florida is
represented by - what else - the orange blossom. Along the
same lines, Oregon chose the blossom of the Oregon grape,
a major export product, as its state flower.
Other interesting state flower facts include: two states
are represented by plants that aren't technically flowers,
Maine, with the White Pine Tassel, and Oklahoma's
mistletoe. Two states are represented by cacti - Arizona's
Saguaro cactus and New Mexico's yucca flower. Only one
state's flower bears the state name - the California poppy.
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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