North Dakota’s State Flower

North Dakota is hardly a giant among states in terms of population or industry. But it boasts a king among flowers for its floral emblem. In fact, the wild prairie rose ranks with the cottonwood, western meadowlark and bison as one of the premier symbols of the Great Plains.

The wild prairie rose became a favorite of students of the University of North Dakota back in 1889. The school’s first graduating class realized their school had no official colors. So they chose pink and green, the colors of the prairie rose. They noted that the colors were “suggestive of our green prairies and rosy prospects.”

The North Dakota Federation of Women’s Clubs voted for a state flower in 1898, followed by a vote by North Dakota school children. Both groups favored the wild prairie rose.

A state flower bill was introduced by Senator Louis Hanna of Fargo, who later became Governor. The brief bill states, “The state floral emblem of North Dakota shall be the wild prairie rose (rose blanda or arkansana).”

The wild prairie rose was adopted as North Dakota’s state flower on March 7, 1907, four years before the state flag was adopted. Not surprisingly, there were no dissenting votes, not even any debate.

A Rose by Any Other Name...

North Dakota’s favorite blossom grows on prairies and pastures, along roadsides, and at the edges of woods. According to the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, “Plants seem to be slightly more abundant in heavily and moderately grazed pastures in cool moist soils of eastern and central North Dakota, but decrease under heavy grazing in the warm dry soils to the west.”

The wild prairie rose ranges from Alberta south to Texas. Its scientific names have included, Rosa arkansana, Rosa pratincola and Rosa blanda. The first suggests it was discovered in Arkansas. Actually, it was named for the Arkansas River, which rises in Colorado. (It was first described for science in 1874 by Thomas Conrad Porter, author of The Flora [plants] of Pennsylvania.) The small shrub ranges east to New York, far beyond the Great Plains and Midwest prairies.

Why has this beautiful blossom had so many names? There are many species of roses, some of which vary widely in appearance. The wild prairie rose occurs in a variety of forms in a variety of habitats. It can also hybridize with other roses. Perhaps scientists mistakenly gave different scientific names to dissimilar specimens of the same plant.

The wild prairie rose also represents Alberta. It is commonly considered Iowa’s state flower, too.

Perhaps no jurisdiction better deserves the rose than North Dakota, home of the International Peace Garden. As the United States continues to evolve into an ever meaner and more bizarre corporate behemoth, the International Peace Garden and the wild prairie rose are reminders of a kinder, gentler America, a nation other nations were proud to call a friend.

Image courtesy
of the Santalady

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