Nebraska was the second state to adopt a goldenrod. Although Nebraska’s flower is officially Solidago gigantea, it is sometimes described as Solidago serotina. They’re synonyms describing the same plant, the giant goldenrod.
The resolution was introduced by Rep. L. P. Judd of Boone County and was supported by University botanist Dr. Charles Bessey. An article written by Ida Brockman, daughter of Rep. John M. Brockman of Stella, said,
“There is probably not a nook or corner of the state where one or more of the numerous species of goldenrod are not found. It is a native, and only a true native should be our representative. It has a long season, and nothing could better represent the hardy endurance of Nebraska’s pioneers.”
Who could argue with that? A bill to adopt the violet was defeated, and Governor Silas A. Holcomb signed the goldenrod resolution into law on April 4, 1895.
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - 
