|| HOME
|| INTRO
|| SYMBOLS
|| ALMANAC
|| GEOGRAPHY
|| STATE MAPS
|| PEOPLE
|| FORUM
|| NEWS
|| COOL SCHOOLS
|| STATE QUIZ
|| BOOK STORE
|| MARKETPLACE
|| STATE LINKS
|| NETSTATE.STORE
|| NETSTATE.MALL
|| GUESTBOOK
|| WEBMASTER

South Carolina State Wildflower

South Carolina State Wildflower: Tall Goldenrod

Adoption of the South Carolina State Wildflower

After years of effort, the work of Nancy Odom, State Wildflower Chairman for the Garden Club of South Carolina paid off when, on May 14, 2003, Governor Mark Sanford signed legislation making the tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) the official wildflower of South Carolina.

Spearheading a statewide effort, Odom had contacted garden clubs throughout the state with her idea of a state wildflower to spark interest in native plantings. To educate the public, garden clubs were asked to present programs on wildflowers and then nominate a preferred flower for promotion as the state's official wildflower.

Queen Anne's lace was the big winner with the clubs, but it was determined that this plant was not native to South Carolina. The runner-up, goldenrod moved to the forefront.

Bills introduced in the 114th Session of the General Assembly (2001-2002) failed to gain traction. Efforts continued however.

House Bill No. 3233 of the 115th Session of the South Carolina General Assembly met a different fate. Introduced for the first time in the House on January 14, 2003 by Representative Scott F. Talley of Spartanburg, the offering met with a more receptive audience. House Bill No. 3233 was approved and on its way to the Senate before the end of the month.

The Senate received House Bill No. 3233 and had approved the action by April 23rd.

The following text represents House Bill No. 3233 as approved by the Senate:

AS PASSED BY THE SENATE
April 23, 2003
H. 3233

Introduced by Reps. Talley, Altman, Walker and Clemmons

A BILL
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 1-1-704 SO AS TO DESIGNATE GOLDENROD THE OFFICIAL STATE WILDFLOWER.

Amend Title To Conform

Whereas, the Goldenrod is a strong, fibrous perennial found in meadows, fields, and along roadsides which grows in full sun to part shade needing only average moisture, making it a very tough and durable plant; and

Whereas, Goldenrod, contrary to popular belief, does not cause allergies to flare as the Goldenrod pollen is too heavy to blow in the wind; and

Whereas, the bright yellow flowers are very long-lasting and the bloom time is very long with the plant forming a dense clump that can be divided, and can reseed itself, allowing the plant to multiply every year; and

Whereas, Goldenrod, when cut back, produces more blooms than usual; and

Whereas, the ubiquitous Goldenrod, so familiar to South Carolinians in every generation, is an ideal candidate for the exalted position of "official state wildflower". Now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Article 9, Chapter 1, Title 1 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding: "Section 1-1-704. Goldenrod (solidago altissima) is the official state wildflower."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

----XX----

On May 14, 2003, the tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) was adopted as the official state wildflower of South Carolina.

South Carolina has two official flowers. Back in 1924, the South Carolina Legislature selected the yellow or Carolina jessamine as the official state flower.

Two other states have adopted goldenrod as state flowers:

• Nebraska as their official floral emblem in 1895.
• Kentucky as their official state flower in 1926.

South Carolina Code of Laws

The following information is excerpted from the South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 1, Chapter 1, Article 9, Section 1-1-704.

Title 1 - Administration of the Government.
CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
ARTICLE 9. STATE EMBLEMS, PLEDGE TO STATE FLAG, OFFICIAL OBSERVANCES.
SECTION 1-1-704.

SECTION 1-1-704. Official State wildflower.

Goldenrod (solidago altissima) is the official state wildflower.

Additional Information

South Carolina State Wildflower: Tall Goldenrod

Plant Profile for Solidago canadensis L. var. scabra Torr. & Gray (FLOWER): USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

South Carolina Native Plant Society: Web site of the South Carolina Native Plant Society.

Wildflower Alliance of South Carolina: PO Box 12181, Columbia, SC 29211 Tel: 803-799-6889

Roadside Use of Native Plants: State Plant Listings: South Carolina - US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Web site for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.

State Flower List: List of all of the state flowers.

State Birds & Flowers 1000-pc Puzzle: Created at the request of The National Wildlife Federation this design is a beautiful and informative puzzle featuring every state bird perched on the appropriate state flower.

State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book by Annika Bernhard - 51 accurately detailed, copyright-free renderings include national bird (eagle) and flower (rose) plus 50 state birds and flowers.

U. S. State Flowers in Cross Stitch by Gerda Bengtsson - Botanically correct cross stitch designs of state flowers of the 50 States.

Quilting Flowers of the States by Sue Harvey - A lovely 12-inch flower block for each of the 50 states. Techniques used are piecing, appliqué, paper-piecing and three-dimensional techniques.

Plants, Seeds & Flowers: Bulbs, seeds, plants, fertilizer, plant containers and more.

Gardening Tools: Pruners, rakes, shovels, hoes, trowels, cultivators and tillers, greenhouses, yard carts and more.

State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide, Third Edition - Benjamin F. Shearer and Barbara S. Shearer, Greenwood Press, 2002

State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and Other Symbols: A Study based on historical documents giving the origin and significance of the state names, nicknames, mottoes, seals, flowers, birds, songs, and descriptive comments on the capitol buildings and on some of the leading state histories, Revised Edition - George Earlie Shankle, Ph.D., The H.W. Wilson Company, 1938 (Reprint Services Corp. 1971)

Source: The South Carolina Code of Laws, (http://www.scstatehouse.net/code/statmast.htm), September 19, 2005
Source: South Carolina Native Plant Society (South Carolina Now has a State Wildflower: Goldenrod), (http://www.scnps.org/articles.html), September 19, 2005
Source: State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide, Third Edition - Benjamin F. Shearer and Barbara S. Shearer, Greenwood Press, 2002
Source: State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and Other Symbols: Revised Edition (Reprint)- George Earlie Shankle, Ph.D., The H.W. Wilson Company, 1938

[ HOME || INTRO || SYMBOLS || ALMANAC || GEOGRAPHY || STATE MAPS || PEOPLE ]
[ FORUM || NEWS || COOL SCHOOLS || STATE QUIZ || BOOK STORE || MARKETPLACE || STATE LINKS ]
[ NETSTATE.STORE || NETSTATE.MALL || GUESTBOOK || WEBMASTER || PRIVACY STATEMENT ]

NETSTATE.COM is a Trademark of NSTATE, LLC.
Copyright © by NSTATE, LLC. All rights reserved.
No copyright is claimed on non-original or licensed material.
Support NETSTATE

Top