Playing Cards - CONNECTICUT

Evergreen leaves and captivating star-shaped blooms, accentuated with distinctive burgundy blotches; the Mountain Laurel is one of the most beautiful blooming shrubs native to America. Also known as ivybush, sheep laurel, calico bush, lambkill (because the plants are quite toxic, especially to small animals), clamoun and spoonwood (because Native Americans made spoons from the wood). Laurel flowers represent ambition, success and fame. Though they look very similar, there is a BIG difference between Mountain Laurel and Bay Laurel (used in cooking and to make the famous, laudible wreaths). Unlike Bay Laurel, virtually all parts of the Mountain Laurel are poisonous to both humans and animals. Also the State Flower of Pennsylvania, Mountain Laurel offers a stunning floral display in May and June with blooms in pinks, whites and reds. But this design is not just a tribute to this stunning flower, it also pays homage to our 5th state, Connecticut. Out of 50 states, Connecticut is the 48th largest . . . or 3rd smallest in the union. For a state that, TECHNICALLY, isn't on the ocean (Long Island Bay is actually an estuary), Connecticut has a rich maritime history and an amazing maritime museum in Mystic. Though the official nickname is "The Constitution State", Connecticut is also knows as "The Nutmeg State", "The Provisions State", and "The Land of Steady Habits". Finance and insurance are Connecticut's largest industries; maybe not that surprising as it is also the birthplace of Charles Dow, the founder of the The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones AND J. P. Morgan, financier and philanthropist. Of course, it's also the birthplace of, among other notables, Former President, George W. Bush, Katharine Hepburn, Meryl Streep and Noah Webster -- as in Webster's Dictionary. This delightful design, celebrating the 5th addition to the United States, offers an outline of the state of Connecticut, filled with their state flower, the beautiful Mountain Laurel. This delightful deck of cards is an excellent way of remembering that spectacular Connecticut vacation.