What is a State Tree?

A tree of the state is a species of tree chosen by a state to act as a symbol of the official state, similar to a state song, bird, or motto. Typically chosen by the residents of a state and the state legislature, a tree of the state is almost always a tree that is native to this state, and often the one that is emblematic of the state or has played a role Important in the development and history of the region. Some states have more than one tree of the state, and only a few states share the same tree, with unique trees or emblematic state being more common.

The tree of the State is generally chosen by the people of that state or by the legislature and is proposed in a bill that is then ratified by the state legislature to become law and that the tree is a Official symbol of the State. This process is often quite simple, and residents of a state have generally been unified behind a single type of tree to act as an official state tree. In some rare cases, more than one tree may be chosen, when several different trees are important to the residents of a state or the history of that region.

California, for example, has two state trees: the coastal sequoia and the giant sequoia. These two trees can be found throughout the state in areas such as Redwood National Park, an important tourist attraction and a place of great natural beauty. The coast redwood is the tallest tree in the world, with an average of over 300 feet (over 90 meters) tall, while the giant sequoia is the world's tallest tree with bases commonly 30 feet (More than 9 meters) in diameter, and live more than 3000 years. As these trees are sources of pride for many residents of California, both trees were chosen to be honored as state symbols. While most states have unique trees in the state, both West Virginia and Wisconsin share the sugar maple.

Other states choose a tree based on the history of the state. Ohio, for example, has the chestnut tree of Ohio as the official tree of the state. This was chosen after the presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison, who was a senator from the state of Ohio and introduced himself as "log cabin candidate", often using representations of cabins built from chestnut wood. These images and slogans have allowed to continue the establishment of the Ohio as "The Buckeye State", and the chestnut tree was chosen as the state tree thereafter. Each state, but Hawaii has a tree of The state that is native to the region; Hawaii has the kukui tree, native to Polynesia, but spread to Hawaii.

• Map of the United States.
• A giant sequoia, one of the trees of the State of California.