A state flower isn't random. Most were chosen for what they meant to the people who lived there. Here's the story behind a few of the favorites.
The rose, New York
Love, beauty, and the obvious crowd-pleaser. New York made it official in 1955 and left the color open, so every rose counts.
The sunflower, Kansas
Resilience and warmth. It grows wild across the plains and turns to follow the sun, which is about as on-brand as a state flower gets.
The bluebonnet, Texas
Sacrifice and Texas pride, tied to old folklore about the flower blooming after a great loss. Every spring the highways turn blue with them.
The magnolia, Mississippi and Louisiana
Endurance and Southern grace. The tree is ancient, the bloom is enormous, and two states loved it enough to claim it.
A flower that got fired: Only a handful of states have ever swapped their state flower. Oklahoma is one. It carried mistletoe from territorial days in 1893 until 2004, when it traded up for the Oklahoma Rose. Turns out a tree parasite was a tough sell as a state symbol.
Hang the meaning, not just the flower
Once you know what it stands for, the print on the wall carries a little more weight. Start with your own state and go from there.
