The violet is the official state flower of Illinois — a small purple woodland bloom chosen by the state’s schoolchildren.

• Official flower: Violet
• Scientific name: Viola sororia
• Year adopted: 1908
• Native range: eastern North America

About the violet

Illinois schoolchildren voted for the native violet in 1907, and it was made the official state flower in 1908. The common blue (or purple) violet grows low to the ground with heart-shaped leaves and delicate five-petaled flowers, appearing in woodlands, lawns, and roadsides each spring.

Where it grows

The violet grows throughout Illinois in woodlands, prairies, and lawns, blooming in early to mid-spring.

Illinois state flower FAQs

What is the state flower of Illinois?

Illinois’s state flower is the violet (Viola sororia), which it adopted in 1908.

When did Illinois adopt its state flower?

Illinois designated the violet as its official state flower in 1908.

Who chose Illinois’s state flower?

Illinois schoolchildren voted for the native violet in 1907, and it was made the official state flower in 1908.

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