State Flower: Apple Blossom

In 1901, the Malus (Pyrus) coronaria (The sweet crab-apple blossom) was adopted as the Arkansas State Flower by the Thirty-third General Assembly. Apple blossoms have pink and white petals and green leaves. At one time Arkansas was a major apple-producing state. The town of Lincoln in Washington County still host the annual Arkansas Apple Festival.

The apple blossom was chosen because at that time Arkansas was known as the apple state and sometimes called "The Land of the Big Red Apple." At one time Benton County was the chief apple-producing county in America. Today Arkansas has slipped somewhat, ranking at a mere 32nd.

This apple tree is a native of Europe that adapted well enough. It is a naturalized citizen like so many others. It flowers from April to June. This is one of the 1000-some apple varieties cultivated in the United States, and all of which are supposedly descended from the Wild crab (Pyrus coronaria, Linné). [I prefer to think that each sprang forth spontaneously from the earth.]

The flowers are large, fragrant, the calyx-tube is urn-shaped, with limb 5-cleft; the pedicels and calyx villose-tomentose. Petals are roundish, or obovate,and villose at base. Stamens vary by variety which are numerous.