Wood violet; photo by Maia C on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / no derivative works).
Official State Flower of New Jersey
New Jersey originally adopted violet as the state flower in 1913, but the resolution's power ended when the 1914 legislative session began. It wasn't until 1971, at the urging of New Jersey garden clubs, that legislation was finally passed to specify the common meadow violet (Viola sororia) as the official state flower of New Jersey. Rhode Island, Illinois, and Wisconsin also recognize violet as an official state symbol. All State Flowers
In the spring beautiful, delicate violets are seen sprinkling New Jersey lawns, fields, and meadows. The flower has five petals that are usually blue to purple in color, sometimes white, with darker veins that radiate out from the throat of the flower blossom. Violets have simple leaves that grow only at the base of the plant.
