Red carnation; photo by Louisa Billeter on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / share alike).
Official State Flower of Ohio
Ohio designated the red carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) as the official state flower in 1904. All State Flowers
The red carnation was chosen to honor President William McKinley (an Ohioan) who was assassinated in 1901. President McKinley liked to wear red carnations on the lapel of his jacket. Ohio also recognizes an official state wildflower (white trillium)
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