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Meadowlarks, Cottonwoods, Honey Bees, Oh My!
Rooted in the Plains

The Story

We explore how the Great Plains states chose their official symbols, flowers, birds, trees, and insects. From the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago to grassroots campaigns by women's clubs, discover the surprising stories behind these emblems of state identity.

Learn why five states chose the same bird, how Montana kids voted for their state tree 41 years before the legislature acted, and why Oklahoma has three different flower symbols. Through conversations and quiz questions, we uncover the women-led movement that gave our states their lasting symbols and what these choices reveal about shared identity across the Great Plains.

1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Woman’s Building

Bertha Honoré Palmer

Kansas, 1903

Sunflower

Montana, 1895

Bitterroot

Nebraska, 1895

Goldenrod

North Dakota, 1907

Wild Prairie Rose

Oklahoma, 2004

Oklahoma Rose

South Dakota, 1903

American Pasque

Texas, 1901/1971

Bluebonnet

Wyoming, 1917

Indian Paintbrush