#FlowersMakeMeHappy

 If you follow me on Social Media, you'll know that #flowersmakemehappy is a common hashtag in my posts.  I love flowers so much, and I will often stop in the middle of a walk to take a picture of a flower.  I love flowers so much that the picture(s) for my birthday month on our family calendar are exclusively pictures of flowers that I've taken in the previous year.

So it should be no surprise that I am interested in the flowers we may see throughout the Middle States.  And as you know by now, I like to know something about the places we're headed before we go.  So this post is an arrangement of the official state flowers and wildflowers of the 17 states we'll be visiting next year.  Each state is linked to their official state symbols site when one was available.

Florida - the official flower is the Orange Blossom and the State's wildflower is the Coreopsis.  I often see these happy flowers growing along the roadway but never knew what they were called, nor that they were the state's official wildflower.  I just always say, "I like those happy yellow flowers."

 

 

[Photo Credits]

Alabama - the Camellia is the state flower while the Oakleaf Hydrangea has been designated as the official wildflower.

Mississippi - The official state flower of Mississippi is the magnolia blossom.  And like Florida, their state wildflower is the coreopsis.

Arkansas - The Apple Blossom is Arkansas' state flower.  Isn't it beautiful?  These bloom in mid-April through mid-May, so we should be able to see some while in Arkansas.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images / boboling ]

Oklahoma - While the beautiful Oklahoma Rose is the state flower, the state's wildflower, the Indian Blanket, has a more interesting story.  These wildflowers bloom in May, so we may catch the beginning of their season.

[Photo Credit: TexasEagle]

Kansas - Just as Florida is known as the Sunshine State, Kansas is known as the Sunflower State, so it's only natural that the official state flower is the Wild Native Sunflower.  In the 1903 legislation that designated the sunflower, it was written that the sunflower is a "flower that a child can draw on a slate, a woman can work in silk, or a man can carve on stone or fashion in clay."  (I expect I will come home with at least one souvenir with a sunflower on it.)

[Photo Credit]

Missouri - Hawthorn is the name of Missouri's official state flower.  I didn't know what this flower was until researching for this post.  It blooms mostly in May, so we should see some and you bet I'll be getting a picture!

[Photo Credit]

Nebraska - In 1895, Nebraska declared the Goldenrod as its official state flower.  Another state on our itinerary, Kentucky, also uses Goldenrod as an official state symbol.

[Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Iowa - The state's official flower is the Wild Rose, but they didn't designate a specific variety; unofficially, it's the Wild Prairie Rose.  It typically blooms in June, so unless it blooms early, we probably won't see it.  But isn't it pretty?

[Photo Credit]

Minnesota - This state's official flower is endangered.  The Pink Lady's Slipper, a wildflower, was designated as the state's flower in 1902, but by 1925, it became protected by state law.  It is illegal to pick the flower or to uproot or unearth the plants.  The plants can live up to 50 years.  

Wisconsin - The Wood Violet is Wisconsin's official state flower.  These bloom in May and June, so we'll keep an eye out for them.  They come in a variety of colors, but I think from the photos I saw, the purples are my favorite.

[Photo Credit]

Michigan - Like Arkansas, Michigan's state flower is the Apple Blossom.  They bloom in May and June, so I hope we see some while we are in the state. I would love to compare them to those from more southern Arkansas.  Michigan also has an official state wildflower, the Dwarf Lake Iris.  These bloom in late May / early June and are the ones I am most excited about trying to see.  However, Dwarf Lake Iris are on the threatened plant list.

[Photo Credit: Charles and Diane Peirce, Michigan Wildflowers]

Illinois - The Violet and the Milkweed.  The only thing I know about milkweed is that it is a flower that grows in the Glade of Trust in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

[Photo Credit]

Indiana - Indiana has had four official state flowers beginning with the carnation (my favorite flower; my wedding bouquet was white carnations), followed by the tulip tree flower, and then the zinnia until 1957 when Peony was picked (pardon the pun).  I remember as a young girl growing up in south Georgia that my mother had a small flowerbed where she planted zinnias.  So when my initial search for "state flower of Indiana" returned Zinnia in the search results, it brought back fond memories.  So for my mom and for me, here's a picture of zinnias that reminds me of my childhood.

[Photo Credit: kasiap - stock.adobe.com]

The IndyStar had an interesting article from 2017 about how the peony became the official state flower.  And in case you, like me, weren't quite sure what a peony looked like, here's a picture that was in the article.

Kentucky - While Kentucky and Nebraska both have Goldenrod as their official state flower, Kentucky designates Solidago Gigantea as the official species of Goldenrod.  The link in the state name will give you more information if you're interested.  And while Kentucky does not have a specific state wildflower, the Kentucky State Parks invite you to enjoy the state's wildflowers in their natural habitat.

Tennessee - The Iris is the official flower of the state of Tennessee which also boasts two official state wildflowers: the Passion Flower and the Tennessee Echinacea, aka the Coneflower.

 

[Photo Credit]

Georgia - The Peach State's official flower is the Cherokee Rose, and the official wildflower is the Native Azalea.  And even though I grew up in Georgia, I didn't know these facts until this post.  

[Photo Credit:  Bron Praslicka]

[Photo Credit]

So you can see why this #flowersmakemehappy traveler is looking forward to taking our time as we make our trip - so we really will have time to stop and smell the flowers.

Which is your favorite flower?  Let us know in the comments!

~ Cindy D.