Coffee Mug - KANSAS

Kansas is named after the Kansa Native American tribe which originally inhabited the area. Though the official nickname is "The Sunflower State", Kansas is also called "The Free State" and "The Wheat State". By 2015, Kansas was one of the most productive agricultural states in the country, producing high yields of wheat, corn, sorghum and soybeans. The state's most famous appearance in literature was as the home of Dorothy Gale, the main character in the novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". When Dorothy said, "There's no place like home," she was referring to Kansas. Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House on the Prairie", published in 1935, is another well-known tale about Kansas. Even Superman was said to hail from Kansas . . . from the fictitious town of Smallville. Pizza Hut restaurants opened their first location in Wichita, Kansas. The glorious sunflower is the official state flower, and it's as much a crop as an ornamental. Sunflowers are native to the Americas. Historically, they have been used for medicine, dye, food, and oil. At the bud stage, sunflowers exhibit a unique trait called heliotropism, with which the bud of the sunflower faces the sun at all times throughout the day, starting the day facing east and ending it facing west. Not all sunflower petals are yellow. There are more than 60 varieties of sunflowers that live around the world—some of these varieties have striped petals. Some sunflowers also have different interior shades. This spectacular design pays homage to our beautiful 34th state as well as the amazing flower it honors. An outline of the state is filled with lovely sunflowers. This is paired with the pumpkin orange "Kansas" and, with a nod to its fertile soil, anchored with a deep, earthy "The Sunflower State" which beautifully coordinates with the handle and brim of this delightful cup.