What was the State Flower of Indiana Before 1957?

State flowers are the emblem selected by the government (simply, the legislature) to represent the state of any country.

Indiana, a popular US state, also has the ‘Peony’ as their state flower. This flower was declared so in 1957 by the Indiana General Assembly.

But a lot of us may wonder: what was the state flower of Indiana before 1957?

Do not worry, your hunger for answers ends here. Read on to find out all the details and history of the state flower of Indiana before 1957.

The First State Flower: Carnation

In 1913, when the state of Indiana was going through a state of economic delirium due to the great flood, the state was in utter delirium.

Amid the chaotic situation, I am pretty sure the Indiana state government wanted to give people something that would uplift their mood.

So, the Legislature declared the Carnation flower as the official state flower of Indiana in 1913.

This decision was hailed as well as wailed by many as this flower is not native to the state but to the country of England.

The Carnation enjoyed nearly 10 years on the throne until it was overthrown by another flower.

The Second State Flower: The Tulip Tree Flower

After a lot of sighs of dissatisfaction from the local public, the legislation had to choose a native plant as the next successor.

I am pretty sure, there were quite a few lovers of the Carnation flower as well, but the government does what the government does.

In 1923, the Legislature had enough and declared the Flower of the Tulip tree, a native plant as the state flower of Indiana.

The beautiful 6-petaled flower best represented the beautiful state of Indiana. Later it has a run as the State Tree of Indiana as well.

But again, beauty fades away quickly, as the flower was dethroned by another beauty after a mere 7 years.

The Third State Flower: Zinnia

The Indiana state government was quite indecisive when it came to the state flowers.

Even after the locals were happy with the current state flower, the government decided to change it anyway.

So, later in 1931, the Indiana legislature declared the beautiful Zinnia as the Indiana state flower.

Officially, Zinnia is the state flower of Indiana before 1957.

After enjoying a long run, Zinnia was replaced by the Indiana general assembly for good, 26 years later.

The Current State Flower: Peony

After a long hustle and bustle on whom to crown as the state flower, the state government finally came to a conclusion.

In 1957, a bill was passed in the senate which stated that the Flower of the Tulip tree must be reinstated as the State Flower of Indiana.

After a lot of discussions, the senate decided to go with dogwood blossom. But, to everyone’s surprise, they declared Peony as the state flower.

So, from 1957 onwards, the Peony is the official state flower of Indiana.

Now, you can see the beautiful Peonies decorating the memorial sites and official events in Indiana.