On May 6, 1897, the Iowa General Assembly officially designated the wild rose as the state flower of Iowa. This decision followed a recommendation made the previous year by the State Federation of Women’s Clubs during a meeting in Dubuque. The wild rose had long been admired by Iowans for its natural beauty and was even featured in 1896 on a silver tea set presented to the USS Iowa (BB-4). Though three native wild rose species—Rosa blanda, Rosa arkansana, and Rosa carolina—grow across Iowa and bloom in shades of pink beginning in June, the legislature did not specify which one officially represents the state.
