The Superior Express -

Tuesday, Jan. 29, was Kansas Day. Kansas, having become a state on Jan. 29, 1861, was 162 years old.  President Abraham Lincoln signed the law which made Kansas the 34th State in the Union.

Linda Woerner

These white blossoms are those of Sand Hill Plum, the state fruit of Kansas. Look carefully and you can see a honey bee - which happens to be the Kansas state insect. The Sand Hill Plum became the state fruit of Kansas on April 12, 2022. Photo courtesy of Linda Woerner.

During all those years, Kansas has acquired many symbols. Twenty-two symbols in fact. Many are well known, the buffalo (state animal), the meadowlark (state bird), the sunflower (state flower), the cottonwood (state tree), the ornate box turtle (state reptile), the barred tiger salamander (state amphibian) and of course, Home on the Range (state song). 

But did you know Kansas also has a state fruit?  In 2022, Governor Laura Kelly signed legislation declaring the Sandhill Plum the Kansas state fruit.  Fourth grade students from Sabetha, Kansas, started the effort to have a state fruit in 2021. On April 12, 2022, the legislation was signed and those Sabetha students were in attendance. The Sand Hill Plum (prunus augustifolia) is a small, deciduous tree, native to Kansas. The spring blossoms are white and attract pollinators, including the honey bee which is our state insect.

  The resulting fruit, a small reddish plum, was used for centuries by the Native American tribes inhabiting the area. European settlers also made use of the fruit. Today, many make Sand Hill Plum jams and jellies.