skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Floral Facts
  3. State Flowers
  4. Minnesota

State Flowers

State Flower of Minnesota

Flower: Pink & White Lady’s Slipper(Cypripedium Reginae)

What state might be nicknamed the Orchid State? No, not Hawaii - Minnesota! Minnesota might also be a better candidate for Oklahoma’s nickname, Sooner State.

The big news in 1892 was the World’s Fair. States were asked to choose symbolic flowers in preparation. What flower could represent Minnesota? The ladies’ auxiliary of the World’s Fair Commission decided on the wild lady’s slipper, or moccasin. They asked Senator W.B. Dean to sponsor their bill.

The lady’s slipper was adopted in February 1893. Thus, Minnesota became the first state to officially adopt a state flower, beating Oklahoma by a week. Today, Minnesota is the only state represented by an orchid and it is one of the most beloved of state flowers.