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Friday, Apr. 11, 2025

Is Minnesota the only US state with an orchid for a state flower? 

Deanna Pistono, MinnPost
yes

Minnesota’s state flower, the pink-and-white lady slipper (also known as the showy lady slipper or the queen’s lady slipper), is the only state flower that is a member of Orchidaceae, the orchid family. 

Some flowers are shared by multiple states. The most common state flower is the rose, variations of which are claimed by Georgia, Iowa, New York, North Dakota and Oklahoma.

Botanical names for plants are composed of genus and species in that order, meaning that the pink and white lady slipper, Cypripedium reginae, is a member of the genus Cypripedium, one of many genera within the broader family Orchidaceae. None of the other state flowers are members of any of Orchidaceae’s genera. 

Another unique state “flower” is Maine’s, which is a white pine cone and tassel rather than an actual flower.

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