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

State Flowers

State Flower of Rhode Island

Flower: Violet (Viola Species)

Rhode Island was the first of four states to select the violet as an official flower. Students from various precincts voted for their favorite flowers. The ten flowers receiving the most votes were then listed on an official ballot. The other flowers, listed in decreasing order, were the rose, pansy, pink, arbutus, goldenrod, water lily, lily, daisy, and buttercup. But Rhode Island’s grown-ups seemed rather bored with the whole affair. The violet wasn’t officially adopted.

More than half a century passed before Rhode Island finally adopted a state flower. A teacher and politician named Francis (Frank) Sherman finally decided Rhode Island had waited long enough. He introduced a state flower bill, and the violet was adopted on March 11, 1968.