I attend every one of the U.S. Botanic Garden’s media previews of new exhibits, like their latest – America’s State Flowers. Here you see Senior Communications Specialist Devin Dotson talking to the press and notice the guy in the center? He’s motioning for me to move out of view! Oops.
Devin explained that the USBG has collected all 56 state and territory flowers, and created this map of their locations on the grounds. The plants will all be on display through October 12 of this year.
Find your flower here:
Yes, this exhibit is the USBG’s contribution to the America250 celebration and I appreciate the focus on plants rather than anything politically triggering.
The weirdest selection process – actually, 56 different processes
Bottom line – we can’t assume anything about these plants based on their having been selected. As the handout says, one “might have been selected because of its connection to major industries, relevance to state history, or prominence in the local landscape.” Devin told us one state has school children pick the winner! So maybe we should rethink the whole concept of state/territory flowers. If they serve a purpose, what is it?
Here are examples of territory flowers and the information on display about each. Washington, DC, not a territory but a lone “district,” is also included.
Where “natives-only” makes total sense
Also from the handout: “Most selected flowers are native to North America, and many have been used for centuries as food, raw materials, or medicine.”
Well! I’ll just go out on a limb and say I think honorific titles like “state flower” should be granted to plants native to the state. Duh, right?
Like Maryland, with black-eyed susans as the state flower. Every year I spread my extra susans around town and would love to see it used in our city landscapes instead of bedding annuals and irrigation tubing.
About Georgia
Also shown above is the new state flower chosen just this year for Georgia – the sweetbay magnolia, replacing the Cherokee rose. The Georgia Native Plant Society can take credit for getting that change passed.
About Ohio
As I toured the exhibit with garden writer Kathy Jentz, we came upon a magnificent Buckeye and agreed that it would be a more worthy state flower than the sad little carnation that currently represents the state. Not only is the carnation nonnative; its selection was purely political. The sign says “Presidential William McKinley considered the scarlet carnation a lucky charm. It was chosen as the state flower after his assassination to represent ‘a token of love and reverence’ for the Ohioan president.”
About America
Speaking of plant origins, how about America’s Flower being, you know, from the U.S.? Unlike the rose. I kinda like Senator Everett Dirksen’s proposal back in 1965 that it be the marigold, using these selling points:
- The marigold is a native of North America and can in truth and in fact be called an American flower.
- It is national in character, for it grows and thrives in every one of the fifty states of this nation. It conquers the extremes of temperature. It well withstands the summer sun and the evening chill.
- Its robustness reflects the hardihood and character of the generations who pioneered and built this land into a great nation. It is not temperamental about fertility. It resists its natural enemies, the insects. It is self-reliant and requires little attention. Its spectacular colors – lemon and orange, rich brown and deep mahogany – befit the imaginative qualities of this nation.
- It is as sprightly as the daffodil, as colorful as the rose, as resolute as the zinnia, as delicate as the carnation, as haughty as the chrysanthemum, as aggressive as the petunia, as ubiquitous as the violet, and as stately as the snapdragon.
- It beguiles the senses and ennobles the spirit of man. It is the delight of the amateur gardener and a constant challenge to the professional.
- Since it is native to America and nowhere else in the world, and common to every state in the Union, I present the American marigold for designation as the national floral emblem of our country.
Source. And you can explore all “state symbols” here.
One more photo from America’s State Flowers:
And my favorite shots taken at the USBG that day:
In the Regional Garden, one of my favorite plants – the ‘Rising Sun’ redbud, showing a mix of faded flowers and emerging chartreuse foliage. I have one of these but it’s not nearly as grand.
Across the street I took this money shot in the Bartholdi Garden – of herbs in the kitchen garden, with a nice view of the Capitol Building. (Sorry if the sight of it triggers anyone reading this. Ya never know these days.)
S.,
Thanks for bringing the Botanic Garden’s celebration of our 250th to our attention. The diversity of state flowers, to me, is an apt way to recognize the United States’ heritage.
Your editorial comment that “maybe we should rethink the whole concept of state/territory flowers” under the heading titled: “The weirdest selection process . . . “ suggests that you might be missing the point of America.
The colonies came together to oppose monolithic kingly rule. “E pluribus unum” does not imply founding on the principle that we must all choose the same things in the same process. The fact that we have 50 different state mottos should tell you that we embrace diversity.
It’s OK that you might have a different opinion. I rise in support of the notion that our freedom to choose differently is a strength, not a weirdness. Despite the current political froth, I believe we tend to celebrate differences here as well as the liberty as to the method used to choose.
Our freedom to choose differently is more important to me than your apparent preference for uniformity in methodology. I am thankful that our Founding Fathers adopted governance that protects the rights of the states and their individual citizens to make lawful selections however they wish. Likewise, I love having the intellectual freedom to honor and to grow plants which you might define as “non-native”.
The America we honor embraced diversity . . . the immigration of non-natives, Tesla, Einstein, George Gershwin’s parents, Cary Grant, Alexander Graham Bell, Sergey Brin . . . do I need to go on? There are sensible reasons to honor a person or a plant other than simply where they or it originated.
J.
I didn’t think marigolds were native to North America so I checked and found that they originally came from Mexico and Guatemala. Excuse me if I’m wrong.
You’re absolutely right. I had to look it up because in the Netherlands they are called Afrikaantjes. I always assumed they were native to Afrika. Live and learn.
Mexico and Guatemala are part of North America.
I was just in DC; I checked the US Botanical Gardens website for special events while I was there, but missed this one. Knew I should have just walked over! Your ‘Rising Sun’ redbud picture makes me salivate and “see red” at the same time; missed seeing that too!
I believe Mexico is considered a part of North America. Thus, the marigold native to North America.
I agree with Johns Moores statement completely..
In 2002 Plantlife conducted a “County Flowers” public survey to assign flowers to each of the counties of the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.The results designated a single plant species to a “county or metropolitan area”. Some English counties already had flowers traditionally associated with them before 2002, and which were different from those assigned to them – and some flowers were assigned to multiple counties. They are however all native, apart from a handful which have other associations.
Long live the mighty marigold!
Hear hear for Marigolds!