The white hawthorn flower, also known as the Mayflower, was approved as the state flower of Missouri in 1923. However, the original legislation only identified the genus crataegus, causing confusion over which species is representative of the state’s ecology. The white hawthorn and downy hawthorn are practically indistinguishable in appearance, but the latter grows taller and produces larger fruit earlier. Hawthorn trees have a place in herbal medicine and are also symbolically linked to Christianity.
On March 16, 1923, the 52nd General Assembly of the Missouri state legislature approved the white hawthorn flower as the state flower of Missouri. This flower, which grows wild on numerous species of hawthorn trees throughout the state, blooms in early May and, as such, is commonly referred to as the Mayflower. At the time of its approval, the flower was referred to simply as the wild hawthorn.
While the white hawthorn, or crataegus punctata, is generally recognized as the state flower of Missouri, the language of the original legislation was slightly vague. The wording only identified the genus crataegus without listing a species. This has led to slight confusion as the Missouri Department of Conservation believes another species, the downy hawthorn, is more representative of the state’s ecology.
In many ways, the controversy surrounding the Missouri state flower is largely academic. The flowers of the lanuginosa and the hawthorn are so close in appearance that they are practically indistinguishable from the layman. The flowers of both trees have five white petals and about 20 stamens. The petals are similar in shape and equivalent in size. In short, according to the appearance of the flower alone, the flowers are interchangeable.
There are some minor differences between the two types of hawthorn trees. More remarkably, at heights of up to 13 meters (42.7 ft), the downy hawthorn easily dwarfs the white hawthorn’s 7-metre (23 ft) maximum growth. The downy hawthorn also produces larger fruit earlier in the season than its counterpart. Both the color and flavor of the fruits, however, are similar.
In addition to producing Missouri’s state flower, the hawthorn tree has a long and distinguished place in herbal medicine. Traditionally, the leaves and berries from the trees were used to ease sore throats, reduce joint pain, and aid sleep. Today, however, modern complementary herbal medicine practitioners use the berry as an adjunct treatment to traditional medicine for patients suffering from heart failure, angina and hypertension.
It is interesting to note the Christian symbolism in choosing both the hawthorn flower for Missouri’s state flower and the dogwood as the state tree. While the details are not given in the Bible, many believe that Christ was crucified on a cross made of a dogwood tree. It is also commonly accepted that his crown of thorns was made from the intertwining branches of a hawthorn tree.
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