Delaware’s State Flowers
A century ago, the goldenrod was a popular flower in Delaware. In fact, many residents wanted it adopted as the state flower.
But agriculturalists and school children petitioned the legislature on behalf of their favorite flower, the peach blossom. After all, Delaware was known as the “Peach State,” producing more peaches than any other state. In just sixty-three years, Delaware’s peach trees multiplied from one orchard to 4,521,631 trees!
The peach blossom was adopted as Delaware’s state flower on May 9, 1895. Like Florida’s orange blossom, it is an exotic species that was adopted because of its importance to the economy. But oranges are still big business in Florida, while Delaware’s peach industry took a turn for the worse.
On the same day the peach blossom was adopted, a disturbing story appeared in a Delaware newspaper. It reported serious damage to Delaware’s peach crop due to foggy weather. It was an omen.
A dreadful blight known as “peach yellows” had appeared in Delaware by 1842. Between 1890 and 1900, Delaware lost half of its peach orchards. By 1940, less than half a million peach trees were reported in Delaware.
Delaware is the northernmost of several states that adopted species native to China as state flowers. It is probably the only one of these states whose state flower has dramatically declined. If a new state flower election was held, would the goldenrod win the crown, or would the peach be retained by tradition?
Delaware also has an official herb.
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