The United States is known for its abundance of diverse natural landscapes. You can experience practically every climate and vista across the states, which contributes to the incredible biodiversity of the land.
As a celebration of the natural wonders that America is home to, each state has chosen an official state flower throughout the years. Some of these choices have been more recent while some were chosen before the 1900s!
For example, the official state flower of Kansas is the sunflower. You will find vast, lush fields of native sunflowers in Kansas due to it being the ideal climate for them to thrive. The official state flower of California is the California poppy. These bold, dazzling gems are native to the Pacific slopes of North America, so you can find them overlooking the sea.
For Alaska, the official state flower is the forget-me-not, which love the high mountain meadows. The official state flower of Idaho is the syringa, which Native Americans used to craft pipes, bows, arrows, harpoon shafts, snowshoes, soap, and more. Maryland chose the black-eyed Susan, which are common along roadsides and within fields. The black and gold colors match the state bird (Baltimore oriole), the state insect (Baltimore checkerspot butterfly), and even the state cat (calico).
The official state flower of Pennsylvania is the mountain laurel, a breathtaking native blooming shrub which attracted travelers during the early colonial days. The first recording of a mountain laurel in America was in 1624! The official state flower of Texas is the bluebonnet, which are native lupines that find home in North American prairies. Unfortunately, this type of habitat is one of the most endangered ecosystems on Earth, with only 4% of the once 170 million acres left.
Not only does the practice of choosing state flowers encourage pride, it also helps raise awareness of environments that may need help.
