STATE FLOWER
New Jersey's State Flower: The Violet
New Jersey's official state flower is the violet (Viola sororia) — a designation that took an unusually long and bureaucratic path to become law.
A Fifty-Eight-Year Wait
New Jersey lawmakers first designated the violet in 1913, but a technicality left the choice in legal limbo — technically "uncertain status" — for the next fifty years. A follow-up attempt in 1963 also fell short, and it wasn't until 1971 that the violet finally received unambiguous, official recognition as the state flower.
QUICK FACT
Illinois and Rhode Island also chose the violet as their state flower, making it one of the most widely shared floral emblems in the country.
