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State Flowers

State Flower of Colorado

Flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine (Aquilegia Caerulea)

In 1820, Edwin James led the first party to climb Pikes Peak, Colorado’s most famous mountain and discovered what would later become Colorado’s state flower.

On Arbor Day, April 17, 1891 a day normally set aside for honoring trees, Colorado students voted for a state flower. Out of 22,316 votes, Rocky Mountain Columbine received 4,472. Second place went to the Cactus, with 1,027 votes.

In January of 1899, members of a women’s club in Cripple Creek discovered that the columbine had never been legally adopted. The legislature promptly took steps to make it legal. It was adopted on April 4, 1899.