State Flower Archives

Goldenrod: Kentucky’s Misunderstood State Flower

A botanical illustration of European Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea).

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 16, 1926 On this day, Kentucky officially adopted the goldenrod as its state floral emblem. This decision came after years of debate within gardening clubs, who felt that the previously recognized bluegrass…

February 16, 2022 Marie Clark Taylor, David Austin, the New Jersey State Flower, Sleepy Cat Farm by Caroline Seebohm, and Elizabeth Gilbert

The Daily Gardener Podcast Album Cover with a pot of rosemary - the herb for remembrance - beckoning gardeners to remember to listen to the show. Updated September 2025.

Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Botanical History On This Day 1911 Birth of Marie Clark Taylor, American botanist and the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in botany from Fordham University. A…

May 5, 2021 Two Great Garden Design Tips,Thomas Hayton Mawson, Cecil Ross Pinsent, Planting on Fallow Ground, Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening by Matt Mattus and The Iowa State Flower

The History and Lore Surrounding the State Flower of Alaska: the Forget-Me-Not

Softly focused cluster of wild forget-me-not flowers with small, delicate light blue petals and yellow centers, set against a dark, leafy green background.

“Professor Dean gave the illustration of a country doctor who in the spring, would carry Forget-me-not seeds which he sprinkled on the waters of the streams he passed. In time, these streams were lined with Forget-me-nots; a memorial when he was gone.” April 28, 1917 On this day, the State Flower of Alaska was adopted:…

April 28, 2021 Plants for Hummingbirds, William Darlington, Frances Bickelhaupt, Wanting Spring, Letters from Yellowstone by Diane Smith, and the State Flower of Alaska

Fourth Time’s the Charm: Indiana’s State Flower is the Peony

A peony flower, likely a herbaceous variety such as Paeonia lactiflora (Chinese Peony) or Paeonia officinalis (Common or European Peony). Peonies are renowned for their large, showy, and often fragrant blooms, making them a popular choice for gardens.

“A young, distinguished member of the Indiana legislature named Lawrence Baker, who happened to be a peony grower, suggested the Peony. And that is how the Peony ended up on the ballot.” March 15, 1957 On this day, the Peony became Indiana’s fourth State Flower. First, they picked the Carnation, then the Tulip Poplar, next…

A Closer Look at the Kansas State Flower: the Sunflower

The image shows a sunflower, likely a Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), silhouetted against a bright background, possibly a sunset or sunrise.

“Sunflowers do need a ton of sun. Don’t be stingy with the sunshine and put them in part shade. These are plants that appreciate all the rays they can get.” March 12, 1903 On this day, the Kansas State Flower was officially selected. Governor Willis Bailey signed the legislation that designated the wild native Sunflower…

March 2, 2021 Gardens Matter to Pollinators, Joel Roberts Poinsett, John Jacob Mauerer, A Spring Flower Show, Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey and the State Flower of Idaho

February 26, 2021 How to use More Foliage in the Garden, Anna Eliza Reed Woodcock, Alfred D. Robinson, The Tussie-Mussie, Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets, and a Botanical Dream for Balboa Park

Foliage Plants: How To Use Green Foliage Plants In Your Garden | Gardens Illustrated | Alasdair Cameron Botanical History On This Day 1834 Birthday of Anna Eliza Reed Woodcock, who championed the Apple Blossom as Michigan’s State Flower by personally delivering blooming branches to the Statehouse. Her silk apple blossom creations and charitable spirit earned…

Celebrating the Virginia State Flower: Dogwood (Cornus florida) – Along with Little-Known Fun Facts

“Dogwood trees have a hard white wood that used to be harvested to make skewers for cooking. So again, this is another neat tieback to the dag or dagger reference. This is also how the Dogwood got one of its ancient common names: The Skewerwood.” February 24, 1957 On this day, The Times-Dispatch out of Richmond, Virginia,…

February 24, 2021 The World’s Largest Honey Bee, Steve Jobs, the Indiana State Flower, February Chores, English Gardens by Kathryn Bradley-Hole, and an Appeal to Plant More Dogwood in Virginia from 1957

February 18, 2021 The Little Fern That Could, Antoine Nicolas Duchesne, Snowy Owls, Showy Lady’s-Slipper, Ellis Rowan by Kate Collins, and the New Rare-Plant House at the Fairchild Tropical Garden

Remembering Josephine Margetts: Gardener, Politician, and Lover of Nature

“She hadn’t the heart to pull it up, she said, and so it grew and grew until it rivaled the height of the tallest hollies and its expanding girth forced strollers to detour around it.” In researching Josephine Margetts — the woman who created the bill for the State Flower of New Jersey (the Violet)…

February 16, 2021 Plant Selfishness, Townshend Stithe Brandegee, the New Jersey State Flower, Duck Hill Journal by Page Dickey, and the Remarkable Josephine S. Margetts