On November 11, 1889, Washington became the forty-second state to enter the Union.  In the late 1800's Charles Tallmadge Conover, a pioneer Seattle realtor, newspaper columnist, and historian, coined the name "The Evergreen State" as a nickname for Washington in a promotional booklet titled Washington the Evergreen State and Seattle its Metropolis.  The booklet was aimed at drumming up real estate business and praised the abundant lush evergreen forests that adorns the state.  Conover was also instrumental in the movement to retain the name of Mount Rainier.  Today "The Evergreen State" is generally accepted as a reference to the State of Washington.  The nickname can be seen engraved on Washington license plates, on memorabilia sold at souvenir shops, and inscribed on the April 2007 United States memorial quarter honoring Washington.  While many state symbols, including the official state flag, song, dance, and seal have officially been designated as such in statute, no official state nickname has been designated in the same manner. 

Evergreen trees have green foliage throughout the year and do not drop their leaves in fall or go dormant in winter like deciduous trees.  Washington is home to about 25 native evergreen tree species.  A few common types of evergreen trees in Washington are the Western Hemlock, Douglas-Fir, Western Red Cedar, Red Alder, and Pacific Yew.

"The Evergreen State" is designated as the official nickname of the State of Washington.  Entities are not required to update or revise any existing materials, documents, or publications.