STATE FLOWER
Ohio's State Flower: Scarlet Carnation
Ohio's scarlet carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) carries a personal story — it was chosen to memorialize President William McKinley.
A Lucky Charm Turned State Symbol
The story goes that a political opponent handed McKinley a red carnation to wear during his first campaign for U.S. Representative. He won, and kept wearing a carnation as a personal good-luck charm through the rest of his political career, including on the day of his presidential election. Ohio formally adopted the scarlet carnation as its state flower on February 3, 1904, in his memory.
QUICK FACT
William McKinley was born in Ohio, making the scarlet carnation choice a tribute both to the man and to the state.
