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Iowa State Flower

Wild Rose

Rosa pratincola

Adopted:1897

Iowa State Flower: Wild Rose

Adoption of the Iowa State Flower

A concurrent resolution, declaring the wild rose the official state flower of Iowa, was introduced in the Extra Session of the Twenty-sixth General Assembly of the State of Iowa by a Senator Mitchell on May 5, 1897. The concurrent resolution noted that the wild rose was inscribed on the silver setting presented to the USS Iowa that year. An initial vote in the Senate failed to approve the resolution.

The Senate sought the advice of the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs meeting in Dubuque, Iowa. They had voted to select the wild rose as the official floral emblem of Iowa.

On May 7, the concurrent resolution was reconsidered. The following excerpt from the Journal of the Senate, Extra Session, Twenty-sixth General Assembly, State of Iowa reads

"Senator Perrin moved to reconsider the vote by which the resolution to adopt the "wild rose" as the State flower was lost, stating in connection therewith that the members of the Senate had asked the advice of the State Federation of Women's Clubs now in session in Dubuque, Iowa, and the Federation had by vote approved the selection of the wild rose as the official floral emblem of Iowa.

The motion to reconsider prevailed.

The question recurring on the resolution a division was called for and the resolution was adopted.

Major S. H. M. Byers being present was called upon and favored the Senate with a poem entitled "The Rose of Iowa."
                THE ROSE OF IOWA.
              [Copyright applied for by S. H. M. Byers.]

    Hast seen the wild rose of the West,
        The sweetest child of morn ?
    Its feet the dewy fields have pressed,
         Its breath is on the corn.

    The gladsome prairie rolls and sweeps
        Like billows to the sea,
    While on its breast the red rose keeps
        The white rose company.

    The wild, wild rose whose fragrance dear
       To every breeze is flung,
    The same wild rose that blossomed here
        When Iowa was young.

    O, sons of heroes ever wear
        The wild rose on your shield,
    No other flower is half so fair
       In loves immortal field.

    Let others sing of mountain snows,
        Or palms beside the sea,
    The state whose emblem is the rose
        Is fairest far to me.

The Extra Session of the Twenty-sixth General Assembly of the State of Iowa adopted the wild rose as the official state flower of Iowa on May 7, 1897.

WHEREAS, the Executive Council has authorized the wild rose of Iowa as one of the decorations on the silver service presented to the battle ship "Iowa;" therefore be it

Resolved, by the Senate the House concurring, That the wild rose shall be officially designated as the flower of the State.

A specific variety of wild rose was not named in the legislation though Rosa pratincola (Synonym: Rosa arkansana) is thought to represent the variety intended by the legislation. The wild rose, adopted by the concurrent resolution, is often referred to as the wild prairie rose today.

The Iowa Code

The wild rose was adopted by resolution of the Iowa General Assembly and is not included as statutory law in the Iowa Code.

Additional Information

Iowa State Flower: Wild Rose

Plant Profile for Rosa pratincola (Wild Prairie Rose): USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

State Flower List: List of all of the state flowers.

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.

State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book by Annika Bernhard - 51 accurately detailed, copyright-free renderings include national bird (eagle) and flower (rose) plus 50 state birds and flowers.

U. S. State Flowers in Cross Stitch by Gerda Bengtsson - Botanically correct cross stitch designs of state flowers of the 50 States.

Quilting Flowers of the States by Sue Harvey - A lovely 12-inch flower block for each of the 50 states. Techniques used are piecing, appliqué, paper-piecing and three-dimensional techniques.

Plants, Seeds & Flowers: Bulbs, seeds, plants, fertilizer, plant containers and more.

Gardening Tools: Pruners, rakes, shovels, hoes, trowels, cultivators and tillers, greenhouses, yard carts and more.

State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide, Third Edition - Benjamin F. Shearer and Barbara S. Shearer, Greenwood Press, 2002

State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and Other Symbols: A Study based on historical documents giving the origin and significance of the state names, nicknames, mottoes, seals, flowers, birds, songs, and descriptive comments on the capitol buildings and on some of the leading state histories, Revised Edition - George Earlie Shankle, Ph.D., The H.W. Wilson Company, 1938 (Reprint Services Corp. 1971)

Source: Iowa General Assembly, (http://www.legis.state.ia.us), July 13, 2005, 2005
Source: State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide, Third Edition - Benjamin F. Shearer and Barbara S. Shearer, Greenwood Press, 2002
Source: State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and Other Symbols: Revised Edition (Reprint)- George Earlie Shankle, Ph.D., The H.W. Wilson Company, 1938

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