The peonies seem to be blooming early this year. The showy, fragrant flowers of the peony typically burst their blooms for a few short weeks from late May to early June before the stems droop from the weight of the mammoth flowers.
But how did the peony — native to China, not Indiana — get to be the official state flower?
Politics.
There was a great deal of debate over the subject in the 1957 legislature. A bill in the Senate called for the tulip tree blossom to be reinstated to replace the zinnia. At the last minute, it was changed to the dogwood blossom. By the time it got to the House, Rep. Laurence Baker of Kendallville persuaded the House Public Policy Committee to amend it to read peony. The measure passed.
You see, Baker had an ulterior motive. He was a commercial peony grower with farms in Kendallville, Bloomington and Corydon.
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