STATE FLOWER
Nevada's State Flower: Sagebrush
Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is Nevada's official state flower — though its road to that title ran through the state emblem first.
Emblem First, Flower Fifty Years Later
Nevada adopted sagebrush as its state emblem in 1917, but it wasn't formally named the state flower until 1967 — a 50-year gap. The plant itself grows as a small shrub or tree with small yellow blooms and a pungent, sage-like fragrance, even though it isn't actually related to culinary sage. It's also toxic, capable of causing skin irritation on contact and more serious effects if ingested.
QUICK FACT
Sagebrush is one of the most abundant plants across the Great Basin, defining the look of Nevada's high desert landscape for miles at a time.
