A Guide To American Wandlore

America's State Trees as wands

"A people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as helpless; forests which are so used that they can not renew themselves will soon vanish, and with them all their benefits." — President Theodore Roosevelt

Back in 1893, when states were relatively new entities, a congress of women at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago proposed a "National Garland of Flowers" created from flowers that represent each state. Below is a list of the 50 state trees and their capabilities as wands. Some share the same state tree.

Alabama and North Carolina - Longleaf Pine: This member of the pine family is popular in the South but is considered an endangered species. It requires a master who is charming, generous, and confident. They don't tend to go against the grain and dislike confrontation. Excellent for defensive magic, and has talent in magic to do with love. 

Alaska - Sitka Spruce: The Sitka Spruce wand is best suited for individuals who are introverted and prefer to remain in the background. These witches and wizards are not fond of being the center of attention and prefer simplicity over grandeur. They have quick reflexes and are known to be among the first to respond in a challenging situation, especially during a duel. Despite their reserved nature, they possess sharp minds that rely heavily on their senses and observations rather than intuition. Their negotiation skills are unparalleled, and they rarely let anything slip past their keen senses. These individuals are highly principled and resolute in their decisions. While they may appear stoic, they struggle with empathizing with others and seeing things from their perspective. Interestingly, they tend to develop wrinkles later in life compared to the average witch or wizard.

Arizona - Blue Palo Verde: Wands made from Blue Palo Verde are strong and frequently pick the stubborn, making flexibility a measure more of potential to adapt, rather than essential adaptability. Despite this stubbornness, however, Blue Palo Verde wands are also often found in the hands of the eminently pragmatic and those who may often prefer utilitarian and no-frills spell work, clothes, and living quarters, over anything more complicated. This wood was a consistent favorite of Arizona-based wandmaker Shikoba Wolfe.

Arkansas - Loblolly Pine: A curiously focused wand wood popular in the South, wands made from Loblolly Pine tends to find their home in the hands of the scatterbrained and forgetful, though often those very creative. It's a wand known for its creative magics, taking well to new spells and new applications for old spells, and while its master may often be forgetful it is not uncommon for the owner of a Loblolly wand to come up with new spells, by accident or on purpose. Similarly, those with Loblolly Pine wands are often musicians or otherwise artistically creative.

California - Redwood: One of two state trees of California, Redwoods are the tallest trees on the planet. It's notorious for picking a master who survives the impossible. This is fortunate because they seem to be danger magnets. The personality and natural skill set that this wand is attracted to also make for people who thrive under pressure and against the odds. Produces powerful fire-based magic.

Colorado - Blue Spruce: Like spruce, a strong wood that excels in everything except the Dark Arts. However, a witch or wizard with a strong personality can coax more out of a blue spruce wand than just a spruce one. Unskilled wandmakers from the Rocky Mountains called blue spruce a difficult wood, but in doing so they revealed their own ineptitude; it was quite true that it required particular deftness to work with spruce, which produced wands that were ill-matched with cautious or nervous natures, becoming positively dangerous in fumbling fingers. Blue spruce requires a firm hand because it often appears to have its own ideas about what it ought to be called upon to produce. However, when spruce meets its match - which, in 's experience, was a bold spell-caster with a good sense of humor - it became a superb helper, intensely loyal to its owners and capable of producing flamboyant effects.