STATE FLOWER
New Hampshire's State Flower: Purple Lilac
The purple lilac (Syringa vulgaris) won New Hampshire's state flower designation in 1919, chosen after a debate that weighed several competing blooms.
A Flower Chosen for Character
Legislators didn't just pick the lilac for looks — the flower's hardiness was seen as a fitting metaphor for the people of the "Granite State," able to withstand harsh winters and still bloom vividly each spring. Its fragrant purple clusters remain a common sight in New Hampshire dooryards, often planted generations ago and still thriving.
QUICK FACT
Old lilac bushes are so hardy they often outlast the homes they were originally planted beside, marking former house sites decades after the structure is gone.
