Montana’s state tree is the Ponderosa pine, which can grow up to 230 feet tall and has a scientific name of Pinus ponderosa. The tree has orange bark, long needles, and cones that contain seeds Native Americans used to eat. Ponderosa pines can live up to 600 years and thrive in partially arid climates with […]
“Montana” by Charles C. Cohan and Joseph E. Howard is the state song of Montana, adopted in 1945. It praises the state’s beauty, land, and mountains, and mentions the state’s nickname “the treasure state”. It was written in just 30 minutes after a suggestion from Mrs. E. Creighton Largey. The song was extremely popular and […]
The bitter root, Lewisia rediviva, is Montana’s state flower. It has pink and purple flowers, and was chosen for its beauty and history as a food source. Mary Long Alderson led the campaign to choose it, and it grows in rocky areas across the western US. It flowers in early spring and was a food […]
Montana’s state bird is the western skylark, a medium-sized songbird with a distinctive V-shaped marking on its chest. It mainly eats insects and seeds and is protected in Montana. Male skylarks have two mates and females build elaborate nests for their three to six eggs. The western lark is different from the darker eastern lark […]