April is Ohio Native Plant Month! The white Trillium, and other Ohio State Symbols, that Are Also Native Plants!

Starting in kindergarten, Ohio students begin learning about the importance of national and state symbols. Here in Ohio, we have many state symbols of significance.  From the Ohio state wildflower the White Trillium to the state native fruit the Pawpaw, here are some fun facts about Ohio state symbols that are also valuable native plants!

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The Ohio State Wildflower: White Trillium (trillium grandiflorum) adopted in 1986. The white trillium is known by several different names! They include wake robin, snow trillium, wood lily, and giant or large white trillium. They live in the upland forests. They are known as an ephemeral plant meaning that it has a short lifecycle closely tied to the forest ecosystem it prefers. The White Trillium can be found in all 88 counties in Ohio.

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The State of Ohio Native Fruit: The Pawpaw Tree. Adopted in 2009. Also known as the Appalachian banana, poor man’s banana, Indian banana and Quaker delight.  The pawpaw is North America’s largest native fruit tree. The pawpaw is found throughout Ohio. It likes to live in moist soil. In the dappled shade of the forest it will grow shrub-like. In full sun it can grow tree-like up to 30 feet tall. Prehistoric and historic native Americans used pawpaws extensively. It resembles a short fat banana. It is first green, then yellow, then brown. It has an avocado-like texture. It perishes quickly after harvesting with is why it’s difficult to market. It tastes like a cross between a banana and a mango. The pawpaw does not self-pollinate and needs to be planted with several plants in order to produce fruit.

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The Ohio State Tree: The Buckeye Tree (Aesculus glabra) was adopted in 1953. The buckeye tree is mostly an understory tree meaning it can grow in partially shaded areas. It likes to grow along streams and rivers. Its lightweight wood was used to make artificial limbs! Carrying a buckeye nut in your pocket is good luck! The tree has its name from the shape of its nut which resembles the eye of a buck.

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The Ohio State Flower: Red Carnation adopted in 1904. The red carnation (dianthus caryophyllus) was adopted by the state Legislature in 1904 in honor of President William McKinley. President McKinley was assassinated in 1901. He liked to wear a red carnation on the lapel of his jacket. **While this flower is technically native to Eurasia and not Ohio, it has been established here for over a century and provides nectar to important pollinators like butterflies!

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And speaking of pollinators, let us include the native Convergent Ladybird Beetle here, which is also the Ohio State Insect! The Ladybug (ladybird beetle, Coccinellidae) was adopted in 1975. Ladybugs are found in all 88 Ohio counties. Ladybugs are ferocious predators especially good at eating aphids. Aphids are a small sapsucking insect that can cause damage to Ohio backyards and farmlands. There are many different species of ladybird beetle. While the legislature didn’t specify which type is the state insect, it is generally agreed upon that it is the Convergent Ladybird Beetle (Hippodamia convergens). In 1975 the Ohio General Assembly stated  that the ladybug “Is symbolic of the people of Ohio—she is proud and friendly, bringing delight to millions of children when she alights on their hand or arm to display her multi-colored wings, and she is extremely industrious and hardy, able to live under the most adverse conditions and yet retain her beauty and charm, while at the same time being of inestimable value to nature.” Ladybugs are a state symbol of 6 states!

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