I WA LIFE
SUDOKU
Stop! Smell th e Iowa Roses
SOLUTION
ind Our
The Story Beh State Flower
Iowans have a leg up over other people when it comes to romantic gift-giving. Almost anywhere in the state, we can wander into a field and pick a bouquet of our state flower, the wild prairie rose. This doesn’t work so well in February, but it’s a great strategy in the summer! There’s even a fun piece of history behind the cute little pink and yellow flower. FLOWERS, SPOONS, AND BATTLESHIPS According to government documents, the Iowa Legislature chose the wild rose as the state’s official flower back in 1897. They didn’t pick it because it was ubiquitous. Instead, the rose made the cut because its likeness decorated a set of silver that the state presented to the battleship USS Iowa. Yes, that’s correct — our representatives looked at each other, shrugged, and said, “Well, it looks good on a spoon!” The legislature didn’t call out the wild prairie rose specifically, but over time, locals gravitated to it. Maybe the wild prairie rose looked more like the spoon design than other wild roses, or we just like that we can spot it reliably from our front door. Either way, the wild prairie rose is considered the state’s flower. PRETTY ENOUGH TO EAT Another point in favor of the wild rose is that it’s edible! You can eat rose hips (the red vase-shaped fruit under the petals) of plants that haven’t been sprayed. Native Americans have used wild roses for both food and medicine for centuries. According to the American Indian Health and Diet Project, you can eat seeded and de-haired rose hips raw in salads, make them into jam, or steep them into tea. Rose hip tea and syrup can also treat respiratory infections. GROWING A PIECE OF IOWA Instead of getting your sweetie a bouquet this Valentine’s Day, consider buying a whole bush! Wild roses grow all over the United States and particularly thrive in the plant hardiness zones 5–10. (Find your zone at PlantHardiness.ARS.USDA.gov.) This spring, head to your local nursery or garden center and ask if they stock wild prairie roses or another variety of wild rose adapted to your area. If they do, you’ll be set on Valentine’s Day flowers for years to come!
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