Which state flower was chosen first?

Washington adopted the coast rhododendron in 1892. Vermont and Oklahoma also made picks in the 1890s. The push came from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where each state was asked to bring a floral emblem for the National Garland of Flowers.

Which state flower is a cactus?

Arizona uses the saguaro cactus blossom, adopted in 1931. The saguaro can grow 40 feet tall and only blooms in May and June. Its white flower opens at night and closes the following afternoon.

Do any US states share the same state flower?

Yes. The wild rose is shared by Iowa and North Dakota. The violet is used by four states (Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin), though each picked a slightly different violet species. Louisiana and Mississippi both use the magnolia.

What is the state flower of California?

The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), adopted in 1903. April 6 is officially California Poppy Day. The flower closes its petals on cloudy days and at night.

Is a rose a state flower?

Yes, six times. Georgia uses the Cherokee rose, Iowa and North Dakota the wild prairie rose, New York the rose (generic), Oklahoma the Oklahoma rose (adopted 2004), and Alabama the camellia (rose family). The rose is also the US national floral emblem, signed into law by Ronald Reagan in 1986.

Which state flower has the strangest story?

Hawaii picked the yellow hibiscus (Hibiscus brackenridgei) in 1988, which is endangered in the wild. Nevada uses sagebrush, which is technically a shrub, not a flower. Maine uses the white pine cone and tassel, adopted in 1895, which is not a flower at all but a conifer's reproductive part.

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Every state flower and the hidden meaning behind it (2026)

Poppies, magnolias, roses, and the one state that picked a pine cone.

Every US state has an official flower, and most of the choices trace back to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Organizers asked each state to bring a floral emblem for a "National Garland of Flowers." Some states made snap picks by legislative vote; others held children's referendums that stuck for a century. A few oddities followed. Nevada picked a shrub. Maine picked a pine cone. Hawaii picked a hibiscus so rare it is now endangered. Here is the full list, plus the history behind the strangest choices.

Complete list of all 50 state flowers

State	Flower	Adopted
Alabama	Camellia	1959 (previously goldenrod)
Alaska	Forget-me-not	1917
Arizona	Saguaro cactus blossom	1931
Arkansas	Apple blossom	1901
California	California poppy	1903
Colorado	Rocky Mountain columbine	1899
Connecticut	Mountain laurel	1907
Delaware	Peach blossom	1895
Florida	Orange blossom	1909
Georgia	Cherokee rose	1916
Hawaii	Yellow hibiscus (pua aloalo)	1988
Idaho	Syringa (mock orange)	1931
Illinois	Violet	1908
Indiana	Peony	1957
Iowa	Wild prairie rose	1897
Kansas	Sunflower	1903
Kentucky	Goldenrod	1926
Louisiana	Magnolia	1900
Maine	White pine cone and tassel	1895
Maryland	Black-eyed Susan	1918
Massachusetts	Mayflower (trailing arbutus)	1918
Michigan	Apple blossom	1897
Minnesota	Pink and white lady's slipper	1902
Mississippi	Magnolia	1952
Missouri	Hawthorn	1923
Montana	Bitterroot	1895
Nebraska	Goldenrod	1895
Nevada	Sagebrush	1917
New Hampshire	Purple lilac	1919
New Jersey	Violet	1971
New Mexico	Yucca flower	1927
New York	Rose	1955
North Carolina	Flowering dogwood	1941
North Dakota	Wild prairie rose	1907
Ohio	Scarlet carnation	1904
Oklahoma	Mistletoe (1893) + Oklahoma rose (2004)	1893 / 2004
Oregon	Oregon grape	1899
Pennsylvania	Mountain laurel	1933
Rhode Island	Violet	1968
South Carolina	Yellow jessamine	1924
South Dakota	American pasqueflower	1903
Tennessee	Iris (state cultivated), passion flower (state wildflower)	1933 / 1919
Texas	Bluebonnet	1901
Utah	Sego lily	1911
Vermont	Red clover	1894
Virginia	American dogwood	1918
Washington	Coast rhododendron	1892
West Virginia	Rhododendron	1903
Wisconsin	Wood violet	1949
Wyoming	Indian paintbrush	1917

The origin story: the 1893 Chicago fair

Nearly half of these picks trace to a single event. The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago asked each state to nominate a floral emblem for display. The garland it produced was a smash hit, and many states rushed to make their pick official in the years that followed. Washington moved first (1892), then Delaware, Montana and Nebraska (1895). By 1903, sixteen states had adopted an official flower. The last of the 50 was Alaska's forget-me-not (formal 1949 after becoming a state, though it was the territorial emblem from 1917).

The overlaps: flowers shared by multiple states

Not every state picked something unique. Nine states use a flower shared with at least one other:

Violet: Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin (different species each).
Wild rose: Iowa, North Dakota.
Magnolia: Louisiana, Mississippi.
Apple blossom: Arkansas, Michigan.
Goldenrod: Kentucky, Nebraska (was Alabama's until 1959).
Mountain laurel: Connecticut, Pennsylvania.
Rhododendron: Washington (coast species), West Virginia.

The rose is also the official floral emblem of the entire United States, signed into law by President Reagan on October 7, 1986.

The outliers: pine cones, cacti and sagebrush

Not every "state flower" is a flower in the botanical sense.

Maine — White pine cone and tassel: the only state emblem that is technically a gymnosperm reproductive structure, not a true flower. Adopted 1895.
Nevada — Sagebrush: a shrub in the daisy family. Picked partly because Nevada is roughly 60 percent sagebrush steppe.
Arizona — Saguaro cactus blossom: the huge white flower that blooms at night on the tallest cactus in the US. The saguaro can live 200 years and reach 40 feet.
New Mexico — Yucca flower: shares desert habitat with the saguaro. Yucca species were used by Native peoples for soap, rope and food.
Oklahoma — Mistletoe: Oklahoma picked mistletoe in 1893 during territorial days. A live plant is hard to find in the Great Plains, so the state added the Oklahoma rose in 2004 as the official state flower and kept mistletoe as the official floral emblem.

Flowers with a story behind the name

Massachusetts — Mayflower: the trailing arbutus was chosen in 1918 partly for the pun on the Pilgrim ship. It is also on the endangered plant list in the state.
Texas — Bluebonnet: five species of Lupinus are all officially covered by the 1901 statute. Texas expanded the definition in 1971 after debate over which color counted.
Utah — Sego lily: named for the Shoshone word for its edible bulb. Mormon settlers survived on the roots during the 1848 cricket crisis.
Georgia — Cherokee rose: a white climbing rose associated with the 1838 Trail of Tears. Cherokee legend says the flower grew where mothers' tears fell on the ground.
Wyoming — Indian paintbrush: Castilleja linariifolia is a parasite. It steals nutrients from the roots of sagebrush and other neighbors.

Match the flower to the state

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Frequently asked questions

Is the rose the US national flower?

Yes. President Ronald Reagan signed Public Law 99-449 on October 7, 1986, making the rose the national floral emblem of the United States.

Which state flower is endangered?

Hawaii's yellow hibiscus (Hibiscus brackenridgei) is federally listed as endangered. Massachusetts's mayflower is on the state protected list, too.

Do any states have a "state wildflower" separate from their state flower?

Yes. Tennessee has both an iris (cultivated) and a passion flower (wildflower). Texas designated the prickly pear as its state plant in 1995 in addition to the bluebonnet. Alaska keeps forget-me-not as the state flower but recognizes the wild geranium in trail signage.

Which state has the oldest official flower law?

Washington. The coast rhododendron was picked by popular vote of Washington women in 1892 (before women's suffrage in that state) and made official.

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