The American Botanical Garden Wants You to Stop and Smell the U.S. State Flowers
America will celebrate its 250th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the U.S. Botanical Garden in Washington, D.C., is hosting a new state flower display.
Through October 12, visitors can participate in a scavenger hunt in the glass-domed conservatory and outdoor gardens to find flowers representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Whether you are a flower enthusiast or just a casual fan, the exhibition there is something for everyone.
Scientific news I had the opportunity to take a tour on opening day. The experts showed us more than a dozen blooming flowers and told us their stories.
Consider Oregon’s state flower, the Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium). It is not a real grape, it has roots and stems with medicinal properties. The plant’s compounds have been used to treat hemorrhage, arthritis and tuberculosis, says medicinal plant expert Lisa Philander, the garden’s deputy executive director. Then there’s Minnesota’s state flower, the pink and white lady’s slipper orchid (Queen’s Lady’s Lady’s Lady). It is the only flower in the state that is an orchid, it only grows where it is very cold in winter and it is illegal to pick it from the wild.
“Probably the strangest selection of state and territory flowers is that of the state of Maine, which chose the white pinecone and acorn,” says Susan Pell, executive director of the garden. “There are no flowers at all, but it represents the state of Maine very well.” American white pine (Pine strobe), the largest conifer in the northeastern United States, is ubiquitous throughout Maine and has played a crucial role in its economy since at least the 17th century. The state adopted the tree as its floral emblem in 1895 and it appears on license plates today. “It’s something that Mainers care about,” Pell says. “And I think Maine likes to be a little weird.”
Different flowers will bloom at different times during the exhibition. Did you miss your favorite? You can still see replicas of each of them: a display case in the conservatory hall contains exquisite, anatomically accurate paper flowers, made by Emily Paluska, artist based in Washington DC. And beneath these paper look-alikes, visitors can leaf through books of preserved specimens.
Explore the flowers of the American states
Hover over a U.S. state or territory to learn an interesting fact about its official flower.
The researchers collected flora “to take a snapshot of the plants present in a certain area,” Pell says. The dried specimens “provide us with rich data that allows us to understand the impacts of climate change and other factors such as development and invasive species on the range of native plants.”
In the United States, many factories are moving north as the Earth’s average temperature rises, Pell notes. “We also see them rising in altitude.” In some states, if these plants can’t grow any higher, they die. If that happens, it’s possible states could choose new floral symbols.
“I will say that states continually change their state flowers,” Pell says.
Just before the exhibit opened, Georgia updated its official flower from the Cherokee rose (Laevigata rose), an introduced species from Asia, to a species native to the state, the Sweetbay magnolia (Virginia Magnolia).
If you’re visiting Washington, DC soon, take the time to stop and smell these flowers before they’re gone.