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Alaska State Flower & Floral Emblem
Adoption of the Alaska State Flower & Floral EmblemAlaska's official State flower & floral emblem was a popular representative of the Alaska Territory years before Alaska entered the Union. The story starts almost 100 years ago at around the turn of the century and shortly after the population boom caused by the discovery of gold in Alaska and the Klondike gold rush. In 1907, a group of men got together and formed a lodge (club or organization) limited to men who had arrived in Alaska before January 1, 1900. This organization was called the "Pioneers of Alaska." In 1908, the "Pioneers of Alaska" merged with two other lodges to form the "Grand Igloo." It was in the constitution of the Grand Igloo that the forget-me-not began its journey to become the official state flower and floral emblem of Alaska. A clause in the constitution declared,
As the population of Alaska continued to grow, women became involved with organizations such as the Grand Igloo by forming Auxiliaries. They too adopted the forget-me-not as their official emblem. Territorial status loomed in Alaska's future and it occurred to the members of the Grand Igloo and the Women's Auxiliaries that the forget-me-not would make a most appropriate floral emblem for the new Alaska Territory. In 1912, the United States Congress passed a second Organic Act authorizing Alaska to form a territorial government with limited powers. The Legislature of the Alaska Territory met for the first time in 1913. Four years later the bill proposing that the forget-me-not be declared the official floral emblem of the Territory was introduced supported by the following poem written by Esther Birdsall Darling.
The Territorial Legislature approved the forget-me-not as the official floral emblem of the Alaska Territory and the Governor signed the legislation into law on April 28, 1917. The following was found written in the margin of the bill.
Ten years later, in 1927, Benny Benson paid tribute to the forget-me not with his winning flag design. The blue field of Benny Benson's flag, adopted by the Alaska Legislature, represented the sky and the blue forget-me-not flower. He is quoted,
In 1959, when Alaska was granted entry to the Union, the forget-me-not was adopted as the official State flower and floral emblem of the 49th state. The Alaska Statutes - 2004The following information is excerpted from The Alaska Statutes - 2004, Title 44, Chapter 09, Section 44-09-050. Title 44. STATE GOVERNMENT.
The wild native forget-me-not is the state flower and floral emblem. Additional Information
Additional Photographs: Wildflowers and Scenery of the Canadian Rockies, Barbara J. Collins, Ph.D. Plant Profile (Synonym: Myosotis asiatica): USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: Plants Database. State Flower List: List of all of the state flowers. Forget-me-not Seeds Forget-me-not Posters and Prints State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book U. S. State Flowers in Cross Stitch Quilting Flowers of the States State Birds & Flowers 1000-pc Puzzle: Created at the request of The National Wildlife Federation this design is a beautiful and informative puzzle featuring every state bird perched on the appropriate state flower. Plants, Seeds & Flowers Gardening Tools State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide, Third Edition - Benjamin F. Shearer and Barbara S. Shearer, Greenwood Press, 2002 Source: Alaska Legislature, (http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/), June 1, 2005
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Browse forget-me-not posters and prints for purchase.
by Annika Bernhard - 51 accurately detailed, copyright-free renderings include national bird (eagle) and flower (rose) plus 50 state birds and flowers.