Alaska State Bird: Willow ptarmigan

Scientific Name: Lagopus lagopus

State Bird Description: The willow ptarmigan is a bird in the grouse subfamily and often referred to as a willow grouse. The willow ptarmigan is a medium to large ground bird. Males and females are about the same size, with the male's plumage is marbled brown, with a reddish neck and breast, a black tail and white wings and underparts. The female is similar to the male in appearance but lacks the wattles and has brown feathers scattered among the white feathers on the belly.

Where It's Found: The Willow Ptarmigan is found in the forests and moorlands in northern Europe, the tundra of Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska and northern Canada, and in the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Alaska State Bird Dedication: 1955

Wyoming State Flower: Indian paintbrush

Scientific Name: Castilleja linariifolia

State Flower Description: The Indian Paintbrush is a perennial plant, native to the United States which has a number of names including narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, desert paintbrush, Wyoming desert paintbrush, Wyoming paintbrush, and linaria-leaved Indian Paintbrush. The Indian Paintbrush flowers consist of a red to yellow calyx and appear in panicles or spikes.

Where It's Found: The Indian Paintbrush can be found blooming between June and September in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming

Wyoming State Flower Dedication: 1917

Wisconsin State Flower: Wood violet

Scientific Name: Viola papilionacea

State Flower Description: Violets are one of the most common flowers with over 20 genera in the family of the Viola. The most common is the purple violet and is a brilliant purple with 5 petals and generally bloom around mid to late spring. Violets are known by a wide range of names including, common meadow violet, purple violet, woolly blue violet, hooded violet and wood violet.

Where It's Found: Violets are found everywhere but most commonly found in eastern North America. Violets are generally planted in floral gardens and are an annual flower

Wisconsin State Flower Dedication: 1909

West Virginia State Flower: Rhododendron

Scientific Name: Rhododendron maximum

State Flower Description: The Rhododendron flower is 5-lobed flower and is approximately 1 inch length. The Rhododendron flowers are white to pale pink, and sometimes a deep pink or rose color. The peak blooming time for the Rhododendron is around Mid July and one Rhododendron shrub can be absolutely loaded with blooms which makes it extremely popular as a garden flower.

Where It's Found: Rhododendrons are the natives of eastern US and northern Alabama. Rhododendrons are very popular as garden plants and can be seen along side many homes in the US.

West Virginia State Flower Dedication: 1903

Washington State Flower: Coast rhododendron

Scientific Name: Rhododendron macrophyllum

State Flower Description: The Coast Rhododendron are pink to rose-purple, and are very rarely white. Coast Rhododendron flowers are 1-1/2 cm long, with 5 wavy-margined petals united to form a broadly bell-shaped corolla. When blooming the Coast Rhododendron can have upwards of 20 or more blooms per shrub.

Where It's Found: The Coast Rhododendron is found in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Coast Rhododendron flowers bloom in May and June.

Washington State Flower Dedication: 1892

Virginia State Flower: American dogwood

Scientific Name: Cornus florida

State Flower Description: The Flowering Dogwood is one of the most popular trees in the United States due to its beauty and small stature generally used as a tree in landscaping. The characteristic feature of the Flowering Dogwood is its beautiful flowers that bloom in Spring.

Where It's Found: The Flowering Dogwood is native to North America and south of New England, Minnesota, and Wyoming.

Virginia State Flower Dedication: 1918

Vermont State Flower: Red clover

Scientific Name: Trifolium pratense

State Flower Description: The Red clover flower is a dome-shaped flower cluster which has a pink to red flower head that is made up of 100 to 125 small typical legume flowers. The Red Clover has many medicinal properties which include retard progress of cancerous tumours before ulceration has taken place, also used in skin problems, like psoriasis and upper respiratory tract problems.

Where It's Found: Red Clover is native to Europe, Western Asia and northwest Africa, but has been planted and naturalised in many other regions and can be found throughout the United States.

Vermont State Flower Dedication: 1894

Utah State Flower: Sego lily

Scientific Name: Calochortus nuttallii

State Flower Description: The Sego Lily was adopted as the state flower of Utah due to its importance in pioneering times and its natural beauty. The Sego Lily has 3 petals and 3 sepals which surrounds a yellow base.

Where It's Found: The Sego Lily is native to western states including Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Utah State Flower Dedication: 1911

Texas State Flower: Bluebonnet

Scientific Name: Lupinus texensis

State Flower Description: The Bluebonnet is named due to it's resemblance to a women's bonnet. The flower grows up from ground in clusters of blue and white.

Where It's Found: The Bluebonnet blossoms from March - May in most areas of Texas, and they are planted along roadsides and highway in Texas quite heavily.

Texas State Flower Dedication: Originally 1901 but then Clarified in 1971 to include all species of Bluebonnet

Tennessee State Flower: Iris

Scientific Name: Iris

State Flower Description: Irises are perennial plants, growing from rhizomes which is like a bulb but rhizomes creep like a bulb. The Iris Flower rises from the rhizome which is among long slender green leaves which are pointed in shape. The flower of the Iris is a six lobed flower that opens then drops downward. Iris's bloom in a wide range of color with purple being the most prevalent.

Where It's Found: Iris are generally found in the temperate Northern hemisphere often alongside riverbanks, grassy slopes, and meadowlands as well as in ornamental gardens.

Tennessee State Flower Dedication: 1933