Flowers are among the most popular ecosymbols, or symbols of Nature. They are the most popular plant symbols symbols among countries, states, provinces, etc.
Let’s take a brief tour of flowers of state.
National Flowers ˆ
U.S. State Flowers ˆ
Flowers are the most popular state ecosymbols. Although most people instinctively love flowers, floral emblems didn’t just sprout by chance.
The 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago is commonly viewed as the genesis of the state flower movement. Minnesota and Oklahoma adopted state flowers that same year. However, both states made somewhat flaky choices and later changed their designations.
THE MOST POPUIAR STATE FLOWERS (Woolly Blue Violets: By Melissa McMasters, CC BY 2; Giant Goldenrod: By Jac. Janssen, CC BY 2)
Today, every state has an official flower. Some states have two or even three official flowers.
Flowers were popular symbols even before the state symbols craze began. A number of states have nicknames inspired by flowers. Mississippi is the Magnolia State, Kansas the Sunflower State, and Nevada the Sagebrush State. Florida takes its name from a Spanish word meaning “Land of Flowers,” while hillsides carpeted with California poppies lent California the nickname Land of Fire. Let’s not forget North Dakota, the Peace Garden State.
Flowers are also depicted on several state flags, seals, and coats of arms. Nevada and Kansas proudly display their state flowers on their flags, while Kentucky, Utah, and West Virginia display them on their state seals (or coats of arms), which are in turn displayed on their flags.
LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP: FLAGS REPRESENTING NEVADA, KANSAS, AND WEST VIRGINIA; BOTTOM; STATE SEALS OF FLORIDA, WEST VIRGINIA, AND UTAHF
A magnolia is proudly displayed on Mississippi’s new state flag, which is marred only by the state motto. If Kansas ever adopts a new state flag, it will almost certainly feature a sunflower, while dogwood blossoms appear on some Virginia flag proposals.
LEFT TO RIGHT: MISSISSIPI’S NEW STATE FLAG AND FLAG PROPOSALS FOR KANSAS AND VIRGINIA.
Countless more flowers reign as county and civic symbols. How many streets and parks named for flowers there are across America? Flowers have similarly inspired many place names, from Florida (literally “Land of Flowers”) to Portland, Oregon (aka City of Roses).
MORE STATE FLOWER MAPS AND INFORMATION ARE AVAILABLE IN THE #1 STATE SYMBOLS REFERENCE, GEOBOP’S STATE SYMBOLS
(Permissions … Carolina Jessamine: By Swallowtail Garden Seeds, CC BY 2; Top Right, Indian Paintbrush Closeup: By Andrey Zharkikh, CC BY 2, Red Clover Closeup: By Andreas Rockstein, CC BY 2; Bottom Right, Passion Flower: By Kai Schreiber, CC BY 2; Indian Blanket: By oliver.dodd, CC BY 2)
| List of State Flowers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Designation | Species | |
| Alabama | camellia (Camellia) | 1959 | |
| Wildflower | oak leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) | 1999 | |
| Alaska | forget me not (Myosotis alpestris) | 1955 | |
| Arizona | saguaro cactus blossom (Carnegia gigantea) | 1931 | |
| Arkansas | apple blossom (Malus) | 1901 | |
| California | California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) | 1903 | |
| Colorado | columbine (Aquilegia caerulea) | 1899 | |
| Connecticut | mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) | 1907 | |
| Children’s Flower | Michaela Petit’s four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) | 2015 | |
| Delaware | peach blossom (Prunus persica) | 1895 | |
| Herb | sweet goldenrod (Solidago odora) | 1996 | |
| District of Columbia | American beauty rose (Rosa) | ||
| Florida | orange blossom (Citrus sinensis) | 1909 | |
| Wildflower | Coreopsis (Coreopsis) | 1991 | |
| Georgia | Cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata) | 1916 | |
| Wildflower | azalea (Rhododendron) | 1979 | |
| Hawaii | Pua Aloalo (yellow hibiscus) (Hibiscus brackenridgei) | 1988 | |
| Idaho | Syringa (Philadelphus lewisii) | 1931 | |
| Illinois | violet (Violaceae) | 1907 | |
| Wildflower | milkweed (Asclepias) | 2017 | |
| Indiana | peony (Paeonia) | 1957 | |
| Iowa | wild prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) | 1897 | |
| Kansas | native sunflower (Helianthus annuus) | 1903 | |
| Kentucky | goldenrod (Solidago) | 1926 | |
| Louisiana | magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) | 1900 | |
| Wildflower | Louisiana iris (Iris giganticaerulea) | 1990 | |
| Maine | white pine cone and tassel (Pinus strobus) | 1895 | |
| Maryland | black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) | 1918 | |
| Massachusetts | Mayflower (Epigaea repens) | 1918 | |
| Michigan | sweet crabapple blossom (Malus coronaria) | 1897 | |
| Wildflower | dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris) | 1998 | |
| Minnesota | pink and white lady slipper (Cypripedium reginae) | 1902 | |
| Mississippi | magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) | 1900 | |
| Wildflower | Coreopsis (Coreopsis) | 1991 | |
| Missouri | hawthorn blossom (Crataegus) | 1923 | |
| Montana | bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) | 1895 | |
| Nebraska | giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) | 1895 | |
| Nevada | sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) | 1917 | |
| New Hampshire | purple lilac (Syringa vulgaris) | 1919 | |
| Wildflower | pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule) | 1991 | |
| New Jersey | common meadow violet (Viola sororia) | 1972 | |
| New Mexico | yucca flower (Yucca glauca) | 1927 | |
| New York | rose (Rosa) | 1955 | |
| Bush | lilac (Syringa vulgaris) | 2006 | |
| North Carolina | dogwood (Cornus florida) | 1941 | |
| Wildflower | Carolina lily (Lilium michauxii) | 2003 | |
| North Dakota | wild prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) | 1907 | |
| Ohio | scarlet carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) | 1904 | |
| Wildflower | large white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) | 1987 | |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma rose (Rosa odorata) | 2004 | |
| Wildflower | Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) | 1986 | |
| Floral Emblem | mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum) | 1893 | |
| Oregon | Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium) | 1899 | |
| Pennsylvania | mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) | 1933 | |
| Beautification and Conservation Plant | Penngift crownvetch (Securigera varia) | 1982 | |
| Rhode Island | violet (Viola sororia) | 2001 | |
| South Carolina | Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) | 1924 | |
| Wildflower | goldenrod (Solidago altissima) | 2003 | |
| South Dakota | American pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens) | 1903 | |
| Tennessee | Cultivated Flower | iris (Iridaceae) | 1933 |
| Wildflower | passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) | 1919 | |
| Wildflower | Tennessee coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis) | 2012 | |
| Texas | bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) | 1971 | |
| Waterlily | Texas Dawn (Nymphaea) | 2011 | |
| Utah | Sego lily (Calochortus nuttallii) | 1911 | |
| Vermont | red clover (Trifolium pratense) | 1895 | |
| Virginia | American dogwood (Cornus florida) | 1918 | |
| Washington | coast rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum) | 1959 | |
| West Virginia | big laurel (Rhododendron maximum) | 1903 | |
| Wisconsin | wood violet (Viola sororia) | 1949 | |
| Wyoming | Indian paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia) | 1917 | |
Canada ˆ
| List of Provincial Flowers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Province | Species | |
| Alberta | wild prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) | 1930 |
| British Columbia | Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) | 1956 |
| Manitoba | prairie crocus (pasque) (Pulsatilla patens) | 1906 |
| New Brunswick | purple violet (Viola cucullata) | 1936 |
| Newfoundland | pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) | 1954 |
| Northwest Territories | mountain avens (Dryas octopetala) | 1957 |
| Nova Scotia | trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) | 1901 |
| Nunavut | purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) | 2000 |
| Ontario | white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) | 1937 |
| Prince Edward Island | lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule) | 1947 |
| Quebec | blue flag (Iris versicolor) | 1999 |
| Saskatchewan | western red lily (Lilium philadelphicum) | 1941 |
| Yukon Territory | fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) | 1957 |
Japan ˆ
| List of Prefectural Flowers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Prefecture | Symbol | |
| Aichi | rabbit ear iris (Iris laevigata) | 1954 |
| Akita | butterbur (Petasites japonicus variegatus) | 1954 |
| Aomori | apple (Malus domestica) | |
| Chiba | rape (Brassica rapa var. amplexicaulis) | |
| Ehime | Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu) | |
| Fukui | cream narcissus (Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis) | |
| Fukuoka | Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) | |
| Fukushima | Japanese rhododendron (Rhododendron japonicum) | |
| Gifu | Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus) | |
| Gunma | Japanese rhododendron (Rhododendron japonicum) | |
| Hiroshima | Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) | |
| Hokkaido | rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa) | |
| Hyogo | chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum japanense) | |
| Ibaraki | rose (Rosa) | |
| Ishikawa | Kamchatka fritillary (Fritillaria camschatcensis) | |
| Iwate | royal paulownia (Paulownia tomentosa) | |
| Kagawa | olive (Olea europaea) | 1955 |
| Kagoshima | Kyushu azalea (Rhododendron kiusianum) | |
| Kanagawa | golden rayed lily (Lilium auratum) | |
| Kochi | Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) | |
| Kumamoto | gentian (Gentiana) | 1953 |
| Kyoto | fringed pink (Dianthus superbus) | |
| Mie | Russian iris (Iris ensata) | |
| Miyagi | Miyagi bush clover (Lespedeza thunbergii) | |
| Miyazaki | spider lily (Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum) | |
| Nagano | rough gentian (Gentiana) | |
| Nagasaki | wild thyme azalea (Rhododendron serpyllifolium) | |
| Nara | Nara yae zakura (Prunus leveilleana) | |
| Niigata | Didier’s tulip (Tulipa gesneriana) | |
| Oita | Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) | |
| Okayama | peach (Prunus persica) | |
| Okinawa | royal paulownia (Paulownia tomentosa) | |
| Osaka | common rush (Juncus effusus) | |
| Saga | camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) | |
| Saitama | a Japanese woodland primula (Primula japonica) | |
| Shiga | Japanese rhododendron (Rhododendron japonicum) | |
| Shimane | tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) | |
| Shizuoka | azalea (Rhododendron) | |
| Tochigi | Yashio tsutsuji (Rhododendron albrechtii) | |
| Tokushima | sudachi (Citrus sudachi) | |
| Tokyo | Yoshino cherry (Prunus) | |
| Tottori | twentieth century pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) | 1954 |
| Toyama | tulip (Tulipa) | |
| Wakayama | Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) | |
| Yamagata | safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) | |
| Yamaguchi | bitter summer mandarin (Citrus natsudaidai) | |
| Yamanashi | Fuji zakura (Prunus incisa) | |
Other Flowers ˆ
Check back now and then; I will be adding more lists for some time.
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