Michigan’s state flower is the fragrant apple blossom, formally adopted in 1897. The state ranks second in apple production in the US and has approximately 8-9 million apple trees. The state also has other state symbols, including the wolverine, white pine, and dwarf lake iris.
Michigan’s state flower is the apple blossom. The Latin name of the plant is pyrus coronaria and it is also known as the “sweet apple tree”. The plant was formally adopted in 1897 and is well known for its fragrant pink and white petals. The same flower was also adopted by the state of Arkansas four years later in 1901. The state of Michigan ranks second, behind Arkansas, in apple production in the United States.
Pyrus coronaria is a short apple tree that stands between 6 and 14 feet tall (2 to 4 meters). It has fragrant flowers that bloom in mid-May, but only last for about a week. Their fragile beauty, like cherry blossoms in Japan, has inspired generations of poets and artists. The glabrous twigs give way to the small, rounded leaves of the apple blossom. The king flower is the first flower to bloom on each twig, with smaller flowers blooming soon after.
William Harris of Norwood first proposed the idea of a Michigan state flower in 1897 to give the state a sense of “refined feeling.” The idea received wide approval in the state and passed as Joint Resolution 10. The resolution for a Michigan state flower passed both the state senate and its house of representatives. The resolution stated that the apple blossom was chosen because it was native to Michigan, fragrant, and added beauty to the state’s landscape.
Michigan’s state flower may be the apple blossom, but there are many other types of apples in the state. The state has a total of approximately 8-9 million apple trees; these range from granny smiths to red and golden delicious. The number of apple orchards across the state is declining, but the number of trees is increasing as gala apples gain popularity. Since 1950, in addition to the Michigan State Flower, the state has held a Michigan Apple Queen to celebrate the beauty, public speaking, and knowledge of apples in the apple growing community. Each year, the Queen is crowned at the state apple contest.
Michigan has a number of other state symbols such as the wolverine, painted turtle, and brook trout. Plants are also very present in the iconography of the state. In addition to having apple blossom as Michigan’s state flower, the state has white pine as its state tree and dwarf lake iris as its state wildflower.
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