USA Official State Flower Official New Jersey State Flower

Common Meadow Violet?

(Viola sororia)
Adopted in 1913; 1971.

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The state flower of New Jersey was originally designated as such by a resolution of the Legislature in 1913. Unfortunately the force of resolution ended with the start of the 1914 legislative session, leaving the violet with uncertain status for the next fifty years. In 1963 an attempt was made to have the Legislature "officially" designate the violet as the state flower, but the legislation apparently failed. In 1971, at the urging of New Jersey' align="left">

Viola sororia, as the state flower was enacted.

The violet is also the state flower for Illinois, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.

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THE STATE FLOWER OF NEW JERSEY

Chapter 444, Laws of 1971
Approved 2-15-72

ASSEMBLY, No. 2180

Introduced February 16, 1971

By Assemblywoman MARGETTS, Assemblymen VREELAND and COBB

Referred to Committee on State Government

AN ACT designating the violet as the New Jersey State Flower.

BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the
State of New Jersey:

The violet (common meadow, V. sororia) is designated the New
Jersey State Flower.

This act shall take effect immediately.
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  • Family: Violet (Violaceae)
  • Habitat: woods, meadows, waste areas
  • Height: 3-8 inches
  • Flower size: 3/4 to 1 inch wide
  • Flower color: blue-purple, occasionally white or bicolor
  • Flowering time: April to June
  • Origin: native
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom Plantae -- Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida -- Dicotyledons
Subclass Rosidae ?
Order Violales
Family Violaceae -- Violet family
Genus Viola L
Species Viola sororia Willd. -- common blue violet P