New Hampshire has two state flowers: the purple lilac is the official cultivated state flower, while the pink lady’s slipper is the official wildflower. The lilac was chosen in 1919 for its representation of the state’s hardy character, while the lady’s slipper is a rare orchid that is protected as an endangered plant species.
New Hampshire boasts two state flowers. New Hampshire’s official cultivated state flower is the purple lilac flower. While this flower is not native to North America, it was imported from England as early as the mid-18th century and has been the state flower of New Hampshire since the 18th. The official wildflower of New Hampshire is the pink lady’s slipper, which was voted the state’s symbolic wildflower in 1919. It is a native state flower and can be found in wooded areas of New Hampshire.
In 1919, the purple lilac beat out a wide variety of other candidates for the New Hampshire state flower title. A number of bills promoted other flowers for state flower consideration that year, including the apple blossom, wood lily, and aster. Other candidates included cornflower, buttercup, goldenrod, evening primrose and pasture rose. The purple lilac was ultimately chosen as the state flower of New Hampshire because it best represented the hardy character of the people of New Hampshire.
Lilac bushes are known to have survived for hundreds of years, and there are more than 1,000 varieties of lilac worldwide. The bush is native to Asia and England and was transported to the United States in 1750. The colors include various shades of white, purple and pink and the flower is sweetly scented. The state of New York also claims lilac as a state bush, although the purple lilac flower is exclusive to the state of New Hampshire as a state flower.
In contrast to the hardiness of New Hampshire’s cultivated state flower, the state’s symbolic wildflower is quite fragile and delicate. Pink lady’s slipper, also called moccasin flower or lady’s slipper, was adopted as the official state wildflower in 1991. It is a rare orchid that grows wild in wooded areas of New Hampshire. In many areas, this beautiful orchid is protected as an endangered plant species because its natural environment is slowly giving way to agriculture and the advancement of society. Numerous individuals also attempt, unsuccessfully, to transplant the pink lady’s slipper, resulting in an impoverishment of the species.
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