money State saplings: Do you know your state's official tree? Here a list of all 50, plus D.C.
Did you know every state across America has an official state tree? There's one for the country too – in 2004, Congress signed a bill declaring the oak tree as the national tree.
In a 2001 vote hosted by the National Arbor Day Foundation, 400,000 Americans voted to choose a national tree from 21 options, and the winning oak tree was planted on U.S. Capitol grounds to commemorate the selection, the bill states.
There are nearly 60 types of oak native to the U.S., the foundation reports, and the centuries-old trees can span 35 to over 100 feet.
Here is a look at the state tree for every state across America:
Alabama
Alabama's state tree is the southern longleaf pine.
Alaska
The Sitka spruce is Alaska's state tree, often found in southeastern and central Alaska.
Arizona
Arizona's state tree is the palo verde, a gold and green-hued tree found in the desert and foothills of the state.
Arkansas
Arkansas' state tree is the pine tree.
California
The famous California redwood has been California's state tree since 1937. These trees are the tallest trees in the world and are only found on the Pacific Coast.
Colorado
Colorado's state tree is the Colorado blue spruce, named for its silver-blue color.
Connecticut
The Charter oak is Connecticut's state tree. While many states choose a species of tree for their state symbol, Connecticut's is an over 200-year-old large white oak tree that played an important part in state history.
The Royal Charter of 1662, signed by King Charles II, allowed the colony of Connecticut to elect its own officials and create its own rules. When King James II tried to revoke the Royal Charters and gain control of the colonies in 1687, leaders of the Connecticut colony tricked the King's armed forces and hid the Charter in the Charter oak tree.
The tree fell during a storm in 1856.
Delaware
Delaware's state tree is the American Holly, which can reach up to 60 feet tall.
District of Columbia
Washington, D.C. has its own symbolic tree, despite not being a declared state. The scarlet oak is the official tree of D.C.
Florida
The sabal palm is Florida's state tree, replacing the cocoa palm on the state seal in 1970.
Georgia
The southern live oak is Georgia's state tree, which acts as a "southern symbol of strength lining the historic streets of small towns," according to the city of Augusta.
Hawaii
The Kukui is Hawaii's state tree.
Idaho
Idaho's state tree is the western white pine, which grows primarily in the northern part of the state.
Illinois
The white oak is Illinois' state tree. According to Illinois' Department of Natural Resources, settlers in the Illinois territory used white oak wood to build homes and even the U.S.S. Constitution ship.
Indiana
Indiana's state tree is the tulip tree.
Iowa
The oak is Iowa's state tree.
Kansas
The cottonwood tree is the state tree of Kansas, and they were used as building materials for earlier pioneers.
Kentucky
The tulip poplar is Kentucky's state tree.
Louisiana
Louisiana's state tree is the bald cypress.
Maine
Maine's state tree is the white pine.
Maryland
Maryland designated the white oak as the official state tree in 1941.
Massachusetts
The American elm is Massachusett's state tree. According to the Secretary of State's office, this tree was chosen because George Washington took command of the Continental Army beneath an American elm tree on Cambridge Common in 1775.
Michigan
The white pine is Michigan's state tree, chosen as a symbol for Michigan's lumber industry. Michigan led the nation in lumber production from 1870 to the early 1900s, the state's official website says.
Minnesota
Minnesota's state tree is the Norway pine, also called the res pine.
Mississippi
The magnolia is Mississippi's state tree and doubles as the state's official flower.
Missouri
The flowering dogwood, found in southern and central Missouri, is the state's official tree. Missouri also has an official state fruit tree, the pawpaw. Pawpaw trees produce green fruits that are yellow on the inside. Pawpaw pulp is used to make bread, pie, jelly or custard and tastes similar to a banana, mango or kiwi.
Montana
Montana's state tree is the ponderosa pine.
Nebraska
Nebraska's state tree is the cottonwood tree.
Nevada
Nevada has two state trees – the single-leaf piñon and the bristlecone pine.
New Hampshire
The white birch tree is New Hampshire's official state tree. According to the New Hampshire State Almanac, the white birch was chosen for its abundance in the state and because it is native to New Hampshire.
New Jersey
New Jersey's state tree is the red oak.
New Mexico
New Mexico's state tree is the piñon pine, also called the two-needle piñon.
New York
The sugar maple is New York's state tree.
North Carolina
North Carolina's state tree is the pine. Because eight species of pine are native to North Carolina, the state decided to not pick one over the other during the state tree selection, the State Library of North Carolina reports.
North Dakota
North Dakota's state tree is the American elm.
Ohio
The Ohio Buckeye is Ohio's official state tree. Ohio is also known as the "Buckeye State" because of these trees, whose nuts resemble the shape and color of a deer's eye.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma's state tree is the redbud.
Oregon
The Douglas fir is Oregon's state tree.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's state tree is the eastern hemlock.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island's state tree is the red maple.
South Carolina
The palmetto tree is South Carolina's official state tree, and appears on the state seal. According to the South Carolina Government, the palmetto was chosen because the fort made of palmetto logs aided in defeating the British fleet at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island.
South Dakota
South Dakota's state tree is the black hills spruce.
Tennessee
Tennessee's official state tree is the tulip poplar, though it also claims the eastern red cedar as its state evergreen tree.
Texas
Texas' state tree is the pecan tree.
Utah
The quaking aspen is Utah's state tree.
Vermont
Vermont's state tree is the sugar maple.
Virginia
The American dogwood is Virginia's state tree.
Washington
The western hemlock is Washington's state tree, a sweeping green giant native to the state.
West Virginia
West Virginia adopted the sugar maple as the official state tree in 1949.
Wisconsin
A popular choice for state tree, the sugar maple is Wisconsin's official state tree.
Wyoming
Wyoming's state tree is the plains cottonwood.
Discover more unique symbols for your state:
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US state trees: From pine to oak, see official trees for all 50 states
