As the months get warmer, flowers are starting to bloom, dotting the landscape with swaths of vibrant color. In celebration of spring, we’ve put together this list of every state’s official flower, with lovely photos and a little history as well.
1. Alabama: Camellia
- Year it became official: 1959
- How to find it: Look for delicate light pink petals folded up tightly, although you can also find the flower in a variety of other colors across the South.
2. Alaska: Alpine Forget-me-not
- Year it became official: 1917
- How to find it: This dainty purplish-blue flower has a yellow-white core. You can find varieties of the forget-me-not across Alaska.
3. Arizona: Saguaro Cactus Blossom
- Year it became official: 1931
- How to find it: Unsurprisingly, Arizona’s state flower is a blooming cactus. Look for white flowers with a yellow center at the end of a cactus. When the flowers haven’t bloomed yet, you’ll likely see large green buds attached to the cactus.
4. Arkansas: Apple Blossom
- Year it became official: 1901
- How to find it: Given Arkansas’ history as an apple-growing state, it only makes sense that the apple blossom is its official state flower. If you can’t make of the state’s many apple blossom festivals, you can still find this white and pink flower naturally across the state.
5. California: California Poppy
- Year it became official: 1903
- How to find it: This vibrant “golden” flower is a great choice for the Golden State. It has elegant, flowing petals that wrap around its stem.
6. Colorado: Rocky Mountain Columbine
- Year it became official: 1899
- How to find it: The columbine is a white and lavender flower with graceful yellow seeds hanging from its center like tentacles. If you couldn’t tell by the name, you can find it in the Rocky Mountains, among other places around Colorado.
7. Connecticut: Mountain Laurel
- Year it became official:1907
- How to find it: This flower is known for its star-shaped petals and reddish-pinkish specks.
8. Delaware: Peach Blossom
- Year it became official:1895
- How to find it: Look for bold pinkish-orange petals, like the color of an actual peach.
9. Florida: Orange Blossom
- Year it became official: 1909
- How to find it: Unsurprisingly, Florida chose the orange blossom for its state flower. Look for a white-cream petal with an orange-yellow middle.
10. Georgia: Cherokee Rose
- Year it became official: 1916
- How to find it: This is a white rose with a bright yellow middle.
11. Hawaii: Pua ‘Ilima
- Year it became official: 1988
- How to find it: Look for a hibiscus-shaped flower that’s a bright golden yellow.
12. Idaho: Syringa
- Year it became official: 1931
- How to find it: This flower has four white petals with pastel yellow seeds in the middle.
13. Illinois: Violet
- Year it became official: 1908
- How to find it: Keep your eyes peeled for a small flower that is, well, violet.
14. Indiana: Peony
- Year it became official: 1957
- How to find it: This is a bold, fluffy flower that’s most commonly a vibrant pinkish-red, although it can be found in other colors, too.
15. Iowa: Wild Rose
- Year it became official: 1897
- How to find it: The flower has small, delicate pink-white petals and a thick stem with lots of leaves.
16. Kansas: Wild Native Sunflower
- Year it became official: 1903
- How to find it: Look for thick stems and its signature yellow petals. You can find sunflowers across the state.
17. Kentucky: Goldenrod
- Year it became official: 1926
- How to find it: The goldenrod is shaped like a lightning bolt speckled with tiny yellow buds.
18. Louisiana: Magnolia
- Year it became official: 1900
- How to find it: Magnolias have thick, curved petals and are most commonly found in a cream-white color.
19. Maine: White Pine Cone and Tassel
- Year it became official: 1895
- How to find it: White pines can be seen across Maine. Just look for the massive white pine trees, and the pine cones are sure to follow.
20. Maryland: Black-Eyed Susan
- Year it became official: 1918
- How to find it: As the name suggests, this flower has a strong, big black middle and is surrounded by yellow petals.
21. Massachusetts: Mayflower
- Year it became official: 1918
- How to find it: Look for bunched-together small, star-shaped petals. They’re most commonly found in shades of white and purple.
22. Michigan: Apple Blossom
- Year it became official: 1897
- How to find it: Michigan named the apple blossom its official state flower since apples grow naturally across Michigan.
23. Minnesota: Pink & White Lady Slipper
- Year it became official: 1967
- How to find it: These flowers have unique petals that curve upward, making them look like a multi-colored slipper.
24. Mississippi: Magnolia
- Year it became official: 1952
- How to find it: Magnolias were chosen by school children to be the state flower. The flower also appears on the state’s bicentennial coin.
25. Missouri: White Hawthorn Blossom
- Year it became official: 1923
- How to find it: Look for clustered little white flowers with black seeds.
26. Montana: Bitterroot
- Year it became official: 1895
- How to find it: Bitterroots have overlapping purple-white petals and white middle.
27. Nebraska: Goldenrod
- Year it became official: 1895
- How to find it: Goldenrods are native to Nevada and be found by looking for fuzzy yellow buds that are grouped together.
28. Nevada: Sagebrush
- Year it became official: 1917
- How to find it: Look for tall, fuzzy stems with about three“petals” sticking up straight from the stem.
29. New Hampshire: Pink Lady’s Slipper
- Year it became official: 1991
- How to find it: This flower has one long petal that curls to look like a slipper.
30. New Jersey: Violet
- Year it became official: 1913
- How to find it: Violets speckle New Jersey’s landscape with bold purple flowers.
31. New Mexico: Yucca
- Year it became official: 1927
- How to find it: The yucca flower has a signature white bulb, although there are other species of the flower across the state, too.
32. New York: Rose
- Year it became official: 1955
- How to find it: While you may not find roses growing naturally in New York City, you can find them in the state’s more rural or country areas.
33. North Carolina: Dogwood
- Year it became official: 1941
- How to find it: Dogwood flowers have tiny white petals and bold yellow cores. They are often grouped together like a thunderbolt.
34. North Dakota: Wild Prairie Rose
- Year it became official: 1907
- How to find it: The wild prairie rose has light pink petals and a golden center.
35. Ohio: Red Carnation
- Year it became official: 1904
- How to find it: This flower’s red petals create a fluffy bulb.
36. Oklahoma: Oklahoma Rose
- Year it became official: 2004
- How to find it: The state liked the flower so much, they named it after themselves. This variation of the rose is commonly used in teas.
37. Oregon: Oregon Grape
- Year it became official: 1899
- How to find it: The Oregon grape is a bushel of tiny yellow bulbs arranged like grapes.
38. Pennsylvania: Mountain Laurel
- Year it became official: 1933
- How to find it: Mountain Laurels are petticoat-shaped flowers with a star-shaped pattern in a reddish-pink color on the inside. They puff out like an umbrella.
39. Rhode Island: Violet
- Year it became official: 1968
- How to find it: You can find violets across the state, as they are common throughout the northern hemisphere.
40. South Carolina: Yellow Jessamine
- Year it became official: 1924
- How to find it: This is another delicate but bold flower. The yellow jessamine grows wildly in the state.
41. South Dakota: American Pasque
- Year it became official: 1903
- How to find it: Look for oval-shaped purple petals with a yellow-gold middle.
42. Tennessee: Iris
- Year it became official: 1933
- How to find it: Irises have a purple-blue petal with a yellow middle where the two petals combine.
43. Texas: Bluebonnet
- Year it became official: 1901
- How to find it: Bonnets are small blue buds or redbuds that climb upward, forming the shape of a bonnet.
44. Utah: Sego Lily
- Year it became official: 1911
- How to find it: This lily has three oval petals and three triangular ones. It’s most commonly found in white.
45. Vermont: Red Clover
- Year it became official: 1894
- How to find it: This flower forms a large bulb out of smaller bulbs. It’s commonly found in red or purple.
46. Virginia: American Dogwood
- Year it became official: 1918
- How to find it: This flower can be found on dogwood branches. Look for small white flowers, although in winter the flower can develop redbuds as well.
47. Washington: Coast Rhododendron
- Year it became official: 1959
- How to find it: Look for pastel reds and pinks stained on a white flower. They naturally grow in the shape of a bouquet.
48. West Virginia: Rhododendron
- Year it became official: 1903
- How to find it: The rhododendron has a series of small cream flowers bunched in a bouquet formation. They have light green seeds in their middles.
49. Wisconsin: Wood Violet
- Year it became official: 1909
- How to find it: Wisconsin is one of the many other Midwest states that chose the violet as their flower. The wood violet can be found across Wisconsin.
50. Wyoming: Indian Paintbrush
- Year it became official:1917
- How to find it: This flower has a tall stem with flowers budding up and down it. It’s called a paintbrush because the red flowers bloom randomly on the stem, making it look like specks of paint on a brush.
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This article originally appeared on and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Kaitlyn Farley
Kaitlyn is MediaFeed’s senior editor. She is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, specializing in social justice and investigative reporting. She has worked at various radio stations and newsrooms, covering higher-education, local politics, natural disasters and investigative and watchdog stories related to Title IX and transparency issues.