Connecticut State Flower: Mountain Laurel

Nature, State Flowers 1 Minute

At the turn of the 20th century, over 3,000 women urged Connecticut’s state legislature to adopt the beautiful Mountain Laurel as the Connecticut state flower. However, not everyone embraced the idea at first. One senator grumbled that floral emblems were unnecessary. Ultimately though, as supportive lawmakers received sprigs of Mountain Laurel on their desks, it prevailed becoming the state flower of Connecticut in 1907.

As one of the most beautiful flowering plants in America, it’s easy to see why all of those women wanted the Mountain Laurel as the Connecticut state flower. Every year in the months of May and June, the Mountain Laurel bursts with masses of bright tiny blooms. These colorful flowers turn roadsides, wildernesses and suburban yards throughout the state delightful colors of pink, white or red.

The Mountain Laurel grows throughout the eastern half of the U.S., including the southern region of Connecticut. During blossom time, the Mountain Laurel’s beautiful flowers line the roadsides and put on a floral show for drivers along Interstate 95. Clumps of the Connecticut state flower are also prominent along the scenic Merritt Parkway as well as in the northern half of Connecticut.

Each year visitors head to Haystack Mountain State Park in Norfolk to hike amongst the laurel bushes. Hikers can view these beauties under stands of spruce fir or in the open clearings along the trails. In addition to being the state flower of Connecticut, the Mountain Laurel is also the state flower of Pennsylvania where it appears annually in the Appalachian Mountains.

Fun Fact

Almost all of the parts of the mountain laurel are poisonous to wildlife and humans.

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Published by pat frederick

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133 thoughts on “Connecticut State Flower: Mountain Laurel”

  1. Morning All

    tough dragging myself out of bed this morning! temps are at 40* and looks like the sun is trying to rise–I know how it feels…another half an hour in bed would have been nice…lol

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Morning, Pat! IDK – I would prefer a flower that blooms longer than just 2 months out of the year. And, BTW, who would stop you from taking that extra half-hour of bed-time if you so choose? Wheezer was again sleeping on my chair – this time he didn’t run out as soon as I opened the door to put his food dish out. Got to take my feeders down later, when the wind rises – could be a big thunderstorm later today, w/a tornado on the list of possibilities. Batten down the hatches time…..again….sigh…

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning Filly!
        hubby still works from home and follows a schedule during the week. plus Mondays are laundry days for the sheets and other laundry. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY–I’M OLD and set in my ways…LOL
        take care with a possible tornado…gees!
        Wheezer’s getting used to you again…

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Keep in mind that restrictions on freelancing don’t just affect those trying to bring in some extra bucks to pay the bills. They decrease the convenience of Uber-type services to the public while driving up the cost.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. TheseTruths(@thesetruths)Offline
    Wolf
    April 15, 2024 00:55

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/judge-upholds-georgias-voter-citizenship-verification-requirements

    A federal judge has dismissed a legal challenge to Georgia’s voter citizenship verification requirements, keeping in place the state’s process of cross-checking citizenship status to determine voter eligibility and handing a win to election integrity advocates.

    Judge Eleanor Ross of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued a ruling on April 11 that dismisses a lawsuit brought by a coalition of advocacy groups nearly six years ago that claimed Georgia’s voter citizenship verification requirements unfairly discriminated against naturalized citizens, who are more likely to be people of color.

    Following a three-day trial, the judge ruled that all four of the plaintiffs’ claims—including that the protocols violated multiple federal laws, the U.S. Constitution, and unfairly burdened the right to vote—are dismissed.

    In so doing, the judge sided with a motion for summary judgment made in 2021 by the defendant, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who argued that the state’s protocols for matching naturalized citizens’ voter registrations with the state’s citizenship records were “entirely reasonable” and placed a “minimum burden” on applicants.

    Mr. Raffensperger argued that, in almost every case, the requirement was fulfilled by matching driver’s licence or state identification numbers submitted for voter registration with corresponding records at the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to confirm citizenship status…

    “Ensuring that only U.S. citizens vote in our elections is critically important to secure and accurate elections,” Mr. Raffensperger said in a statement praising the ruling.

    “Georgia’s citizenship verification process is common sense and it works. With this ruling, we are able to continue ensuring that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections,” he added.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Perot Conservative

    April 15, 2024 12:42 am

    State of California proposes cutting Solano County water by an astounding 75%!!

    CBS News: “Local leaders say California’s State Water Resources Control Board, in its Bay-Delta Plan, buried a proposal that would divert 75% of Solano County’s current water allocation from Lake Berryessa to the bay.

    ” ‘It’s an 8,000-page document, and if my staff had not read all 8,000 pages they would have missed it,” said Catherine Moy, Fairfield mayor and a Solano County Water Agency board member.

    “Moy said that she cannot get a clear answer from the State Water Board about why they need 75% of Solano County’s water other than that it is to support projects protecting fish like salmon….”

    “”We’ve spent $15 million on salmon habitat in Putah Creek which comes from Lake Berryessa. We can show we have salmon there that have never been there ever. We are making up for other areas that are killing salmon and still, they want to take 75% of our water? That’s cockamamie. That’s nuts,” Moy said….”

    “Other local leaders like William Brazelton, president of the Solano County Farm Bureau, also feel left in the dark by the state.

    “No one knew about this. No one expected it,” Brazelton said. “The manager for the Solano Irrigation District sent out a letter basically blowing the whistle on all this. ”

    https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/solano-county-water-war/

    So, this would cut Solano County farming by 90% or more? And the County couldn’t grow – cities, population – without water!

    Is this a purposeful Machiavellian move to freak out local leaders with a proposed unconscionable cut, so that they’ll then happily swallow a 20% or 30% reduction? All in a growing County, with two wet years, the states 7th-largest New Reservoir planned – Sites Reservoir – queued up, and Billions in water bonds unspent.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט
    @naftalibennett
    Some points regarding the overnight Iranian missile attack on Israel:

    1. Contrary to what pundits are saying, this wasn’t designed merely as “bells and whistles” with no damage.

    When you shoot 350 flying objects timed to hit Israel at the same moment,
    when you use three fundamentally different weapon types—cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and UAVs,
    you’re looking to penetrate Israel’s defenses and kill Israelis.

    2. The US administration is telling us: “This is a victory, you’ve already won by thwarting the missiles.
    No need for any further action.”
    No, it’s NOT a victory.
    Yes, it’s a remarkable success of Israel’s air defense systems, but it’s not a victory.

    When a bully tries to hit you 350 times and only succeeds seven time, you’ve NOT won.

    You don’t win wars just by intercepting your enemy’s hits, nor do you deter it.
    Your enemy will just try harder with more and better weapons and methods next time.
    How DO you deter?
    By exacting a deeply painful price.

    3. It’s incorrect to say “nobody got hurt”.
    There’s a 7 year-old Israeli-Arab girl called Amina Elhasuny fighting for her life.
    That’s who coward Khamenei hit.

    4. The Islamic Republic of Iran made a big mistake.
    For the past 30 years it’s been wreaking havoc on the region—through its proxies.
    A terror-octopus whose head is Tehran, and its tentacles are in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Gaza.

    How convenient.
    The Mullahs send others to conduct horrendous terror attacks, and die for them.
    Other people’s blood.

    Israel’s strategic mistake for the past 30 years was to play along this strategy.
    We always fought the Octopus’ arms, but hardly exacted a price from its Iranian head.
    This should change now:
    Hezbollah or Hamas shoots a rocket at Israel?
    Tehran pays a price.

    5. The enemy is the Iranian REGIME, not the wonderful Iranian people.
    The Iranian regime reminds me of the Soviet regime in 1985: corrupt to the core, old, incompetent, despised by its own people, and destined to collapse.
    The sooner the better.
    The West can accelerate the regime’s inevitable collapse with a set of soft and clever actions, short of military force.
    Remember, USSR collapsed without any need for a direct American attack.
    Let’s do this.

    6. Israel is fighting everybody’s war. In Gaza, Lebanon and Tehran.
    We’re considered “the small satan” by radical Islam. America is the big one.

    I’ll be clear: if these crazy fanatic Islamic terrorists get away with murder by hiding among civilians, this method will be adopted by terrorists worldwide.

    We’re not asking anyone to fight for us. We’ll do the job.
    But we do expect our allies to have our back, especially when it’s tough—and now it’s tough.

    Be on the right side and help us defeat these horrible and savage regimes.

    Like

    1. Frankly, this one looks like a tit-for-tat to me…..Israel sent missiles/drones/what-the-fuck-ever to hit Iranian agents in a 3rd country at Iran’s embassy…..how on earth did they NOT expect retaliation?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. maybe retaliation for the iran sponsored hamas attack in gaza where apparently they can’t “find” the hostages–(so they are already dead) and hamas has no more bargaining chips and doesn’t want to admit it?
        who knows what goes on over there—everyone hates the jews and the muslims want to rid the world of them and then conquer the rest of the world…
        it’s all disgusting

        Liked by 1 person

        1. IDT everyone hates the Jews but yes, the Islamists want to rid the world of them AND Christians, as well as any other religion.

          Liked by 1 person

            1. All they have to do is forgo religious law and agree as a religion overall to be subservient to Constitutional law. Every other religion in the world has made this commitment. But the true Islamists will never agree with that, hence, the religion should be banned in our Republic!

              Liked by 1 person

        1. Not for me….in fact, 9 times out of 10, the only specific day I pay attention to is trash-day on Tuesdays…..about once a month….other than that, no difference except not as much news/blog activity on Sundays. I have to remind myself every day when I wake up what day it is! LOL

          Liked by 1 person

    1. what a sweet lil pup!!!

      I agree on the photo of San Francisco–unless that’s someone’s private estate.

      where are all the tent people? it that was a public park, they’d be all over that

      Liked by 1 person

          1. IDK – looks like some kind of rugby field or something and a swimming pool complex. Maybe they keep them out of certain parks?

            Liked by 1 person

  11. “I mean – obviously the guy doesn’t have a chance in hell of getting elected, and he IS kinda bat-shit friggin’ crazy, so what’s the point of him running at all? It’s gotta be one of two things. Either he’s got an over-inflated ego that forces him in to the spotlight, or he figured out he gets to keep all the money that’s left over from his campaign when he finally does bail out. Either way, the guy’s a distraction at best.”— Site Owner

    “Okay – let’s get serious for just a minute here. If you’re at least 70 years old (like I am), you cannot tell me your old man didn’t have one of these for your Christmas trees back in the 50’s. Am I right or what?” (We had one!)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. we didn’t have one of those, but i remember my grandparents did. the putz had an aluminum (shiny) artificial tree that rotated and the color wheel made it change colors…i remember that!

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Just The News: “The FBI has reportedly opened a criminal probe in connection to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it was struck last month by a large container ship.

    On Monday morning, three boats pulled up to the Dali, and federal agents appeared to board the stranded ship to conduct a search, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the probe. The FBI confirmed with The Post that agents were on the ship.

    The probe will reportedly in part focus on whether the ship crew left the port in the early hours of March 26 knowing the vessel had serious systems problems, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter told the newspaper.

    Six bridge workers were killed in the accident. Authorities are reviewing events that preceded the Dali, a 985-foot Singapore-flagged ship, lost power leaving the Port of Baltimore and slammed into one of the bridge’s support pillars, said the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing probe.

    “The FBI is present aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,” the agency told the newspaper without providing additional public information.

    The newspaper said owner and operator of the ship and attorneys representing them did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.”

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Liked by 1 person

  16. Interesting….for the first time ever, Arab countries around Israel, including Jordan, shot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, one shot down from US Patriot site in Iraq, and SA provided intelligence and tracking info to the US/Israel. Only 7 rockets landed on Israel soil w/no deaths. Shades of the Abraham Accords perhaps?

    Liked by 1 person

  17. The wind has begun and is getting ever stronger. I brought all the feeders and my spinner in about half-an-hour ago. Going to be an interesting day….temp is up to 62 and still sunny. Current forecast:

    Daytime: “81 – Becoming windier and warm with sunshine; a morning shower, then a strong thunderstorm; storms can bring large hail, damaging winds and even a tornado”

    Evening: “60 – Mostly cloudy and breezy with a couple of strong thunderstorms around; storms can bring flooding downpours, hail, damaging wind gusts, and an isolated tornado”

    Liked by 1 person

  25. “The War is Meant to be Continuous”

    CLANDESTINE, APR 15, 2024

    “I’ve quietly observed, and this is my take:

    Congress wasted no time in capitalizing on the situation. They immediately tried to weaponize the public’s emotion (fear) to advance their agenda of reinvigorating public support for the war machine.

    Our tax dollars should NOT be spent on any of these conflicts for any reason. Our tax dollars should ONLY be spent on the actual interests of the American People. We have a border that needs securing. We have corruption that needs eradicating. Our society is failing. We have PLENTY of our own problems.

    Yet TRILLIONS of our tax dollars have been sent to fund these wars around the globe, that have absolutely nothing to do with us, and do not benefit us in any way. We are being stolen from on the largest scale imaginable. Our labor is used to fund nearly all conflict and war around the globe, while our once great nation continues to deteriorate, and our quality of life continues to plummet. We are slaves.

    Our politicians are so eager to fund WW3, but cannot be bothered to fund anything that benefits their constituents. Until this mindset changes, the world will continue to fail, and full-scale global war will be our fate.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree with this.
      if congress had allocated billions to rebuild OUR military–with the most up to date effective weapon systems–i would have no problem with that kind of spending till we have rebuilt it.
      but for other countries’ benefit? nope.
      we are NOT the world’s sugar daddy!

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Well, that’s interesting! I think I found the real-life woman doctor in the old west – Colorado – who was the character on whom Doctor Quinn was based! Saw it on an episode of Mysteries at the Museum.

    Liked by 1 person

      2. Unrealistic on it’s face – no fricking way she could keep herself looking like she did! Fancy, curled hairdos and gowns, and such….but I enjoyed it. Strong-willed woman fighting her way to respect, breaking taboos, etc.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. LOL – one of my favorite episodes – go to the 2:45 mark – the childbirth scene – she almost rips his cheeks off!

        Liked by 1 person

  28. Patience

    April 15, 2024 12:35 pm

    Donald J Trump

    @realdonaldtrump
    2h
    ·
    I want my VOICE back. This Crooked Judge has GAGGED me. Unconstitutional! The other side can talk about me, but I am not allowed to talk about them! Rigged

    Liked by 1 person

  30. “The Deep State Needs Trump to Win — Whether They Know It or Not”

    ERIK CARLSON, APR 15, 2024

    EXCERPT: “I understand the title sounds crazy and kind of like ‘click bait,’ but hear me out. I promise I’m not saying Donald Trump is working with the Deep State, or that he is a part of the Deep State. What I’m going to try to explain is that the Deep State can’t afford for things to continue on its current trajectory.

    At some point, the ship needs to be righted. If disorderliness goes unchecked, it becomes chaos. If riots are allowed to persist, it turns into lawlessness. The inmates can only be allowed to run the asylum for so long before the asylum is closed for business.

    What we’ve experienced over the past seven years is unprecedented.

    The Deep State has controlled and manipulated virtually everything for decades, for centuries. But seven years ago, something happened that shook the Deep State to its foundation: a president came into office who the Deep State didn’t control. In fact, that president also had the singular goal of destroying the Deep State. This presented quite a challenge for the Deep State, which had relied on having the game completely rigged up to that point in time.

    When it became apparent that Trump would be sitting in the Oval Office, Deep State master plans that would normally take 40-50 years to slowly roll out turned into emergency plans that needed to be rolled out in 40-50 days. Needless to say, these plans weren’t well thought out, and the heat was turned up so aggressively on the pot of water, that frogs began to jump out left and right.

    The Deep State had to turn the heat up so quickly, Americans began to wake up.

    The Deep State had to create a more exaggerated state of chaos and fear, and what we now have is a nation that is redlining. Intentionally-set brush fires are becoming raging forest fires. A manipulated economy has become an economy on the verge of collapse. If pushed further, inflation could become hyperinflation. Open borders have created lawless cities. The fake news media has become an entity that no one trusts or believes, as no one is even tuning in anymore.

    In order for the 0.1% to control the 99.9%, there must remain some level of order—controlled chaos. Without at least a semblance of order, the 0.1% loses all of its power. In order for a parasite to exist, its host must remain alive. If the parasite kills its host, the parasite dies as well…..”

    https://badlands.substack.com/p/the-deep-state-needs-trump-to-win

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Weird cat….Jake was playing his game of getting in my way to get me to put more food in his dish but, when I checked, he had plenty – so he is shut in the bedroom. I uncovered the doggie door and was playing solitaire and watching TV, when I heard a thump and looked up to see Wheezer walking out of my kitchen, back out on the patio – surely he wasn’t on the counter??? I would think I would have caught that kind of movement from the corner of my eye. Now he is lying in a whicker chair on the west end of the patio, relaxing…..temp is only 76, with a strong wind, but still bright and sunny, w/no clouds in sight.

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Observer SC

    April 15, 2024 4:45 pm

    Apparently, this biased democrat Judge in nY will not allow President Trump to attend Barron’s graduation nor to attend the Supreme Court hearing on Thrusday (immunity).

    WTAF!!!! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!

    Also, Judge told him if he missed a day of trial he would be thrown in jail.

    DISGRACEFUL!!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  47. “The Home Fjord, somewhere in the Faroe Islands”

    “Aber Falls Iron Age Roundhouse and Bronze Age Standing Stone, Aber Falls, nr. Abergwyngregyn, Wales”

    Liked by 1 person

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