Colorado Gets Official State Cactus Thanks To Girl Scouts

DENVER (CBS4)- Colorado has a new official State Cactus: the Claret Cup Cactus.

The Claret Cup thrives in Colorado's climate and is able to withstand both heat and cold.

Colorado's State Cactus the Claret Cup Cactus (credit: CBS)

Girl Scout Troop 2518 from Castle Rock was behind the push to make the Claret Cup our new State Cactus.

They got a little help from the Denver Botanic Gardens as well as Rep. Carole Murray, a Republican representing voters in Douglas and Teller Counties.

"The girls from the rock well they just came to me and said 'Hey. Rep. Murray this just can't be! We got the flower, we got the mineral and the Rocky Mountain High but lady, no cactus, it just makes us sigh,'" said Murray at the state Capitol earlier this year.

The Girl Scout troop will appear at the state Capitol on Friday when Gov. John Hickenlooper makes the State Cactus official.