How the Peony Was Chosen
Although many Hoosiers are aware that the state flower is the peony, few take the time to wonder how a non-native species gained such a title. The little-known origin story takes place in 1957, when Rep. Laurence Baker persuaded the House to name the peony, a species native to China, the state flower. Unfortunately, Baker only made this decision with the self-seated interest that he himself was a commercial peony farmer and would gain exponential business from this change (source 1). 

Why Make the Switch?
Though it may initially seem innocuous to most people, the choice to have a non-native species as the Indiana state flower goes much deeper. Most people do not realize that the future of our local environments depends on the protection of native species, and that starts with raising awareness about the disadvantages to allowing non-native and invasive species to pervade our state. Bird and insect populations, which have been in a steep and steady decline over the past few years, have been proven to be extremely reliant on the presence of native plants, as they have learned over time to rely upon these species for shelter and food (source 5). Of the more than 2,000 species of plants commonly found in Indiana, approximately 25% are non-native (source 3). Invasive plants such as bush honeysuckle, wintercreeper, and burning bush are abundant throughout the state, sometimes even in protected areas (source 4).

Continuing the Conversation
In order to spread awareness for the growing invasive plant crisis in Indiana, as well as to celebrate the beautiful natural heritage of wildlife in Indiana, we have chosen to revive a movement started in 1995 by the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society  (INPAWS) to change the Indiana State Flower from the peony to the fire pink, a native wildflower in Indiana (source 1). The fire pink was nominated as part of an INPAWS survey that was created by 55 Hoosier biology experts, in which 6,000 participants voted for the fire pink to be the new state flower (source 6). Furthermore, the fire pink’s flowers are beneficial for hummingbirds and butterflies, and their seeds attract and serve as a food source for native bird species like juncos and horned larks (source 7). The fire pink, which is native to our land and was nominated by American citizens and not a self-interested representative, is the flower which is truly deserving of the title of the Indiana state flower.

Written by Madeline Abbott and Jaden Gaffron

Sources used:

1. https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2017/05/21/dirt-indiana-state-flower/100576966/
2. https://www.nurturenativenature.com/post/why-aren-t-all-state-flowers-native-flowers
3. https://www.in.gov/dnr/nature-preserves/files/np-InvasivePlantsBrochure111009.pdf
4. https://www.entm.purdue.edu/iisc/invasiveplants.html
5. https://e360.yale.edu/features/how-non-native-plants-are-contributing-to-a-global-insect-decline
6. https://indiananativeplants.org/wp-content/uploads/3_4-December-1996.pdf
7. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=sivi4

For further information:

https://conservingindiana.org​

https://indiananativeplants.org/wp-content/uploads/3_4-December-1996.pdf (pages 1-2)

https://bugwoodcloud.org/mura/mipn/assets/File/LA%20Brochure_WEB_FINAL.pdf