Arizona Saguaro giant cactus blossom A saguaro is huge up to fi fty feet 15 24 meters high with many arm-like limbs that end in white blossoms The fl owers bloom at night growing in the desert and mountain slopes A saguaro pronounced sah-wah-roh can live up to 200 years It can take up to seventy-fi ve years to develop a side shoot and is slow to reproduce This makes the giant saguaro cactus a candidate for the endangered species list Scientifi c Name Carnegia gigantea Year Made State Flower 1901 6
Arkansas Apple blossom Apple blossoms arrive each spring in light pink staying until the apples begin to form This lovely fragrant blossom fi lls orchards each year Love Barton a chief advocate of the apple blossom as the choice for state fl ower tirelessly promoted it At the time 400 varieties of apples were grown in Arkansas One of the high points of her lobbying was to take a bushel of apples to the Senate chamber in 1901 Scientifi c Name Malus domestica Year Made State Flower 1901 7
California California poppy In springtime hills are covered with wild poppies American Indians used this plant for medicinal purposes Others called it copa de oro which means cup of gold The California poppy adapts to many of the climates in California In the desert its large and deep root structure fi nds nutrients in the soil Its seeds also lay dormant when there are dry spells During rainy periods poppies bloom on the hillsides and in deserts alike Scientifi c Name Eschscholzia californica Year Made State Flower 1903 8
Colorado Rocky Mountain columbine blue columbine Columbines grow at all elevations but they are bluest at elevations over 11,000 feet 3,353 meters These lovely summer fl owers symbolize the blue sky white snowy peaks and gold ore of Colorado A mountain climber named Edwin James noticed this fl ower in 1820 on Pike’s Peak Its rich aroma attracts butterfl ies bees and hummingbirds Aquila is the Latin word for eagle referring to the claw like spurs at the base of each fl ower Scientifi c Name Aquilegia caerulea Year Made State Flower 1899 9
