State Flower Archives

Goldenrod: Kentucky’s Misunderstood State Flower

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

Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter Facebook Group The next time you’re on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend and request to join. Botanical History 1911 Birth of Marie Clark…

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

Today we celebrate a British garden designer, prolific Edwardian Landscape Architect, and town planner. We’ll also remember a British garden designer and architect known for his innovative gardens in Tuscany. We hear an excerpt about a fantastical garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with one of the top books on Flower Gardening by a modern…

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

“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

Today we celebrate a Quaker son of Pennsylvania who accomplished so much during his lifetime and left a legacy of botanical information for future generations. We’ll also learn about a woman who, together with her husband, created an impressive arboretum in the middle of Iowa. We’ll hear some thoughts about spring from a Contemporary Turkish…

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

A Small, Sad, Neglected-Looking Pink or Peony

“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

Ah, Sunflower, weary of time, Who countest the steps of the Sun, Seeking after that sweet golden clime Where the traveler’s journey is done: Where the Youth pined away with desire, And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow Arise from their graves, and aspire Where my Sunflower wishes to go. — William Blake, English poet, Ah! Sun-flower

“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

Today we celebrate the man who went to Mexico as an ambassador and sent back the plant that became synonymous with Christmas. We’ll also learn about a gardener who worked for 50 years to create one of England’s top gardens. We hear a charming account of spring’s flower show. We Grow That Garden Library™ with…

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

Today we celebrate a charming woman who became known as the Apple Blossom Lady. We’ll also learn about the man who raised the best begonias in the world back in the early 1900s. We hear some thoughts on tussie-mussies. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an informative and delightful book about Fungi (“funj-eye”) – and…

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

Today we celebrate the birthday of a man who appreciated simplicity and knew that we would, too. We’ll also learn about the Indiana State Flower – it’s not a native – but it sure is beautiful. We hear some words from a 1997 Garden Chore list. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a beautiful book that…

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

Today we celebrate the French botanist who created the modern strawberry. We’ll also learn about the sweet little orchid known as the moccasin flower. We hear words that offer perspective on our loss of wildlife and habitat. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about one of the world’s best botanical illustrators – and…

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

Today we celebrate a botanist of the American West and the husband of Kate Brandegee. We’ll also learn about the woman who created the legislation for the New Jersey State Flower, the Violet. We hear some words about the role of the botanist from one of our horticultural greats. We Grow That Garden Library™ with…