State Flowers

State Flower of Pennsylvania

Flower: Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latiflolia)

By 1927 most states had official flowers. Many Pennsylvanians wanted to join the club, but they could never agree on what flower to adopt. By 1933, they had finally narrowed the field to two candidates. Residents of western Pennsylvania supported the wild honeysuckle (also known as the wild azalea and pinkster). Eastern Pennsylvanians rallied behind the mountain laurel.

The House of Representatives voted in favor of the honeysuckle. The next day, they voted for the mountain laurel! The bills moved up to the Senate, which repeated the performance. It looked like the Governor would have to make the final decision. But he decided to let his wife make the decision! She chose the mountain laurel, which was officially adopted on May 5, 1933.