Lilly flower

Perhaps named by the Pilgrims, the mayflower was suggested as the Massachusetts floral emblem as early as 1893 when the Women's Congress at the Chicago World's Fair (The World's Columbian Exposition) began promoting the idea of a "National Garland of Flowers."

Two bills proposing the mayflower as the Massachusetts' floral emblem were introduced, one in 1900 and a second in 1901. Both failed to gain legislative approval. A bill to name mountain laurel the state's floral emblem was introduced in 1905. It too was defeated.

A third bill in support of the mayflower, introduced by Representative Miles A. O'Brien, Jr. was the charm. Unfortunately a competing bill, proposing the water lily as the floral emblem, was also introduced. The General Court decided to pass the issue on to the Department of Agriculture who, in turn, passed the issue on to the State Board of Education. It was determined that a statewide vote of school children would determine the state's floral emblem.

Put to the children of Massachusetts, the mayflower received more than twice as many votes as the water lily.