From baking banana bread to building jigsaw puzzles, some rather unexpected hobbies were taken up by Americans during the pandemic that forced millions of people to spend long days confined to their homes.
One of the biggest winners during this time has been gardening. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to most readers: there are few things as satisfying as seeing seeds you planted with your own hands grow into beautiful flowers.
The question inevitably arises: do all Americans love the same flowers? And if not, what are the most popular flowers grown in each state?
Luckily online flower shop Spring Hill Nurseries has the answer to these questions. The company recently sent out a list of 20 flowers to people from every US state, including the District of Columbia. The recipients were requested to select the one flower that can be seen blooming in their gardens more than any other. To find out which flowers were the most popular in your state, continue reading.
From the list of 20, 5 flowers failed to rank in any of the states. Some of these will most likely come as a surprise to most readers. One of the world’s most popular cut flowers, the gerbera daisy, couldn’t manage to get in the number one spot anywhere in the U.S. Another old favorite, the petunia, which is a cheap and quick way to add color to any garden, also failed to make it to the top in any state.
U.S. gardeners also didn’t seem to have a strong preference for the delightfully sweet-smelling gardenia. The dahlia, another all-rounder, also couldn’t make it into the top 15. But perhaps the biggest surprise among the ‘drop-outs’ was the violet - the official state flower not only in Wisconsin and New Jersey, but also in Rhode Island and Illinois.
At this stage, it has to be said that the five flowers that didn’t make it to the top-15 list don’t show any particular trend when it comes to how easy it is to grow them or how much they cost, so one can’t really make any maintenance- or cost-related deductions about the reasons why people liked them less than the others.
The winners - the 15 most popular flowers grown in Each state
The flower that ranked in the number one spot in South Carolina and Maryland was the marigold, that old lucky charm that many people plant because they believe it brings good fortune. The beautiful but delicate orchid was the favorite among gardeners from Hawaii, while in Pennsylvania the number one choice was the lily. The flower chosen as their all-time favorite by gardeners from Wisconsin was the subdued but undeniably romantic lilac. In North Dakota and Idaho, you will find pansies in most gardens, while in Tennessee the versatile iris stole the hearts of more gardeners than any other flower on the list.
The serenely beautiful sunflower, with its ability to adapt to so many different environments, soared to victory in six U.S. states across the West, Midwest, and South. The peony, hydrangea, and daffodil were each chosen as their favorite by gardeners from four states, while lavender managed to gain top popularity in three states.
The tulip, for which demand dropped noticeably across the world at the start of the pandemic, was chosen as its favorite flower by only a single state: Alaska. Other 1-state winners included the geranium (Wyoming), lilac (Wisconsin), and day lily (Oregon).
The overall winner . But it’s time we get to the one flower that made it to the top spot in more states than any other: the rose. The undeniable classical beauty of this flower propelled it to the number one spot in no less than 19 states.
If one takes into account that roses are definitely not high-maintenance plants, it’s not difficult to understand why it’s the favorite among both amateur and professional gardeners. After all, what flower can provide a better setting for a romantic outdoor dinner or just a lazy hour spent sipping your favorite drink and daydreaming of gardens yet to come?
Choosing the best flowers for your specific garden
With the long, lazy summer months stretching ahead of us, many Americans have started gardening in all earnest again. And what better way to create the perfect place to socialize, exercise, or just relax than a beautiful flower garden? Now that you know which flowers are the most popular in your particular state, it’s time to decide whether you want to follow the trend and plant what everyone else is planting, or dare to be different and plant something out of the ordinary.
Of course, you have to remain practical and consider factors such as your particular region’s rainfall, maximum and minimum temperatures, hours of sunshine per month, when specific flowers bloom, etc. before making a final decision.
Your planning process should also be guided by how well a specific flower will fit into the general ambiance you’d like to create in your garden. And even after choosing your favorite flower or flowers, you still have to decide on a placement strategy.
In this regard, think about which colors will look best when displayed together and which colors will best complement each other. Also, take into account how they will contrast with or complement other parts of your garden. Consider how a particular type of flower will look next to your home itself, and also next to the trees and other types of shrubs in your garden.
Also, don’t forget the impact of the different seasons. Something that will look beautiful against a backdrop of lush green might not look equally good against a background of autumn colors. If the artistic balance of your garden is important to you, these are all factors that need careful consideration.
Conclusion
The stunning beauty of flowers adds a nearly magical ambiance to any garden. The different colors and combinations of colors are virtually endless. While that in itself is exciting, it might sometimes become a bit overwhelming. In that case, we suggest you get in the help of a landscape and gardening expert - even if it’s just to give you a couple of professional tips.