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State flowers represent a state in the US and are usually native or symbolize its history or economy. Some states have multiple flowers, and some are chosen to represent the character of the people or honor an individual. Women’s clubs have also lobbied for state flowers, and voting for state flowers helped inspire the women’s suffrage movement.
A state flower is a flower chosen to represent a state in the United States. The flower chosen is usually native to the state or represents the state’s history or economy. For example, the state flower of Florida is the orange blossom. It is not native to Florida, but represents the state’s main export, citrus fruits.
Not all state flowers are actually flowers. Maine’s state flower is the white pine cone, selected in 1894. Some states have more than one representative flower. Oklahoma has three official state flowers; the hybrid tea rose of Oklahoma, which is the state flower, a state wildflower called Indian blanket, and mistletoe, the state floral emblem.
Texas has five state flowers, all of which are various types of flowers called bluebonnets. Bluebonnets are considered to have originated in Texas, although some think they were brought from Spain. The 1901 Texas Legislature was unable to decide which type of bluebonnet should be the official state flower. Senator John Garner, later Vice President to President Franklin Roosevelt from 1932 to 1940, earned the nickname Cactus Jack for championing cactus blossoms as the state flower of Texas. Seventy years later, legislation was passed to include all of the Texas variety of bluebonnets as an official floral emblem.
There are some state flowers chosen to symbolize the character of the people of a state. The purple lilac was chosen as the state flower of New Hampshire in 1919 because it is a hardy flower and residents of the state are regarded the same way. Other flowers are selected to honor an individual. The flower of the Buckeye tree was Ohio’s original floral emblem, but the Ohio General Assembly selected the red carnation to replace it in 1904. The flower was selected to honor the memory of Ohio native president William Mckinley , assassinated in 1901 and known for wearing the flower in his lapel.
In 1892, women of Washington State and Montana were encouraged to vote for their state flower before being allowed to vote in state or national elections. Over 15,000 went to the polls. It is thought to be one of the events that helped inspire the women’s suffrage movement for the right to vote. Women’s clubs have also used their lobbying efforts to support some state flowers. In 1916, the Federation of Women’s Clubs successfully petitioned the Georgia Senate to make the Cherokee rose the state flower.
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