The Oklahoma hybrid tea rose, developed at the University of Oklahoma, was named the state flower in 2004, replacing mistletoe and Indian blanket. The rose has a strong fragrance and bears dark red flowers with 45-50 petals. It is disease-resistant and grows best in cooler, drier areas.
The state flower of Oklahoma is the ‘Oklahoma’ hybrid tea rose. A showy dark red rose with a strong fragrance, “Oklahoma” was developed at the University of Oklahoma and released in 1964, and designated a state flower in 2004. The rose has joined the mistletoe along with a native wildflower , Indian blanket, as one of three official state floral symbols.
In 1893, when the idea of official state flowers first caught on in the United States, Oklahoma was still a territory. In that year the state’s native mistletoe, Phoradendron leucarpum, sometimes called oak mistletoe, was named the floral emblem of the territory. It was named as the state floral emblem again in 1910, soon after Oklahoma became a state. For many years mistletoe was commonly referred to as the state flower of Oklahoma. Although mistletoe is economically important to the horticultural industry in Oklahoma, many were unhappy with the choice of a small-flowered parasitic plant as the state flower.
Another floral symbol was adopted in 1986: the native wild flower, Gaillardia pulchella, commonly called the Indian blanket. Although officially designated as the state wildflower, Indian blanket was also sometimes referred to as the state flower of Oklahoma. Many gardeners in the state, however, wanted a more showy, cultivated garden plant as a state flower. The popular “Oklahoma” rose has often been suggested, and in 2004 the state legislature named “Oklahoma” the official state flower of Oklahoma.
‘Oklahoma’ bears repeated flushes of tall, centered, dark red flowers throughout the growing season. It is a typical hybrid tea rose, with large buds that slowly open into sharp quality roses, each at the end of its own long stem. The flowers each typically have 45 to 50 petals growing in whorls from the center and the flowers average 5 inches (about 13 cm) in diameter. ‘Oklahoma’ roses are also known for their strong, sweet fragrance.
In warmer growing areas the bushes can reach up to 8.5 feet (about 2.6 m), but are more often 6 to 8 feet (2 to 2.5 m) tall. They have an average width of 4 m. The leaves are large and leathery, dark green in color that matches the bright red of the flowers.
“Oklahoma” is recommended for United States Department of Agriculture growing zones 6 through 11. However, it does best in the cooler, drier parts of that range. The plant is very disease resistant and the only pruning normally required is the removal of dead and damaged stems.
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