The concept of State Trees originated in 1893 as states were a relatively fresh idea. While at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago a women's congress suggested a "National Garland of Flowers" made of flowers representing each state.
Inhabitants from each state were to chose their state flower that reflected that part of the US of which they came from. The choices were then adopted by state legislators.
The idea was a success and soon after other natural treasures were adopted into each state as representations, state flowers, state fish, state birds, and more.1
Except for Hawaii, all the designated state trees are native to their land.
State | Tree | Year | Scientific |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Southern Longleaf Pine | 1949 | Pinus Pasustris |
Alaska | Sitka Spruce | 1962 | Picea Sitchensis (Bongard) Carriere |
Arizona | Palo Verde | 1954 | |
Arkansas | Loblolly Pine | 1939 | Pinus Taeda Linnaeus |
California | California Redwood | 1937 | Sequoia Sempervirens (D. Don) Endlicher |
Colorado | Colorado Blue Spruce | 1939 | |
Connecticut | White Oak | 1947 | |
Delaware | American Holly | 1939 | |
Florida | Sabal Palm | 1953 | |
Georgia | Live Oak | 1937 | |
Hawaii | Kukui or Candlenut | 1959 | |
Idaho | Western White Pine | 1935 | Pinus Monticola Douglas |
Illinois | White Oak | 1973 | |
Indiana | Tulip Tree | 1931 | |
Iowa | Oak | 1961 | |
Kansas | Cottonwood | 1937 | |
Kentucky | Tulip Poplar | 1994 | |
Louisiana | Baldcypress | 1963 | Taxodium distichum |
Maine | White Pine | 1945 | Pinus Strobus Linnaeus |
Maryland | White Oak | 1941 | |
Massachusetts | Elm | 1941 | |
Michigan | White Pine | 1955 | Pinus Strobus Linnaeus |
Minnesota | Red Pine or (Norway Pine) | 1953 | Pinus Resinosa Aiton |
Mississippi | Magnolia | 1938 | |
Missouri | Flowering Dogwood | 1955 | |
Montana | Ponderosa Pine | 1949 | Pinus Ponderosa Lawson |
Nebraska | Eastern Cottonwood | 1972 | |
Nevada | Single-Leaf Pinyon | 1959 | |
New Hampshire | White Birch | 1947 | |
New Jersey | Red Oak | 1950 | |
New Mexico | Pinyon Pine | 1949 | Pinus Edulis Engelman |
New York | Sugar Maple | 1956 | |
North Carolina | Pine | 1953 | |
North Dakota | American Elm | 1947 | |
Ohio | The Buckeye | 1953 | |
Oklahoma | Redbud | 1937 | |
Oregon | The Douglas Fir | 1939 | Pseudotsuga Taxifolia (Poiret) Britton |
Pennsylvania | Hemlock | 1931 | |
Rhode Island | Red Maple | 1964 | |
South Carolina | Carolina Palmetto | 1939 | |
South Dakota | Black Hills Spruce | 1947 | |
Tennessee | Tulip Poplar | 1947 | |
Texas | Pecan | 1919 | Carya Illinoensis (Wangenheim) K. Koch |
Utah | Blue Spruce | 1933 | |
Vermont | Sugar Maple | 1949 | |
Virginia | American Dogwood | 1956 | |
Washington | Western Hemlock | 1947 | Tsuga Heterophylla (Rafinesque) Sargent |
West Virginia | Sugar Maple | 1949 | |
Wisconsin | Sugar Maple | 1949 | |
Wyoming | Plains Cottonwood | 1947 |
Links
- State Symbols https://statesymbolsusa.org/