STATE FLOWER
New York's State Flower: The Rose
New York adopted the rose as its official state flower in 1955, choosing arguably the world's most universal symbol of love and affection.
A Flower for Every Occasion
Few flowers are cultivated as widely or in as many varieties as the rose, and its popularity shows in the numbers — roughly 110 million rose stems are sold in the U.S. around Valentine's Day alone. Rather than name a specific species or color, New York's designation simply covers "the rose" broadly, leaving room for any of its countless cultivated forms.
QUICK FACT
Fossil evidence suggests roses have existed for at least 35 million years, long before humans began cultivating them.
