The tradition of designating flowers, trees, and birds as state symbols came into vogue in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Each US state has an official state flower and state bird. Some of the species chosen are very unique and have historical significance.
State Flowers
The practice of choosing a flower to represent each state started in 1893 when women across the US were getting ready to honor the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage during the Chicago World Columbian Exposition. It was the first World’s Fair that women were allowed to attend and they were given roles such as leadership and representation. For representation, women were tasked with choosing distinct and one-of-a-kind objects to represent each of the American states (only 44 states at that time). So, the women conducted campaigns to choose a flower as it’s state’s emblem. After that, many states didn’t officially vote on the state flower until decades later.
State Birds
The practice of choosing a bird as a state emblem started in the 1920’s. State birds can be found in all sorts of habitats and represent the diversity of life in our country.
The birds chosen don’t have to be unique to one particular state with multiple states sharing the same bird symbol. The most chosen bird is the northern cardinal which was selected by seven states followed by the western meadowlark with six states. In total, there are 29 different species among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The Symbols of the Four Corner States
The Four Corner States of the Southwest have their act together! They’ve chosen unique symbols not chosen by any other state (who wants another state to choose the Northern Cardinal anyway). In addition, the symbols have great significance for the state.
In this post, I’m going to briefly describe the state symbols for my home state, Arizona, as I will want to speak more about them in later posts. Descriptions of the species and historical significance for Colorado, New Mexico and Utah will follow shortly.
Symbols of the Great State of Arizona
The most unique state flower, in my opinion, is the Saguaro Blossom (Carnegiea gigantea). The white, waxy flowers bloom on saguaro cactus arms in April through June, opening well after sunset and closing in midafternoon the following day. The flowers are “self-incompatible” meaning they cannot pollinate themselves but must be cross-pollinated. The primary nocturnal pollinator is the lesser long-nosed bat.
The Cactus Wren was chosen as Arizona’s state bird in 1931 – 19 years after Arizona became a state. It’s the largest wren species in the United States. Unlike other wrens, the Cactus Wren keeps its tail level not cocked.
Their nests – resembling a football in size and shape- have a tunnel-like entrance and are built in cactus plants, such as the massive saguaro or the thorny cholla. Their nests are made of coarse grass, feathers, plant fibers and even pieces of fabric they might find.
The pairs are monogamous and work to build the first nest and are “serial” nesters. While the female lays her first clutch, the male will start to build a second nest to rear another brood or as decoys to keep predators away from the real nest. This process is repeated for successive broods — usually two or three, but up to six broods may be attempted in a year.
I’m a proud Arizonan and love our Saguaro Blossom and Cactus Wren. Next post will be about Utah’s symbols. It’s interesting that both were chosen as a result of a plague that occurred in the Salt Lake Valley during the 1800’s.