The Magnolia state will soon have a flag that matches its name after voters in Mississippi approved a new design in a referendum in another step towards replacing the state's Confederate-themed flag.
The new flag, according to the Jackson Clarion Ledger, will feature a magnolia on a blue, red and gold background.
It will only become official next year, assuming lawmakers endorse Tuesday's referendum and pass a law to that effect.
Preliminary results on Wednesday morning indicated that 72 per cent of voters supported the new design.
The state launched a competition for a redesign of its flag in July.
A bill to replace the previous flag had garnered bipartisan support in the Mississippi legislature after the death of George Floyd - who suffocated to death in May while in police custody, sparking a US-wide reckoning about race and police brutality.
The previous flag, adopted in 1894, featured a square with the Confederate battle emblem in the upper-left corner.
It was the last state flag in the US to feature the battle emblem of the pro-slavery Confederacy.
The flag's continued popularity continues to weigh on race relations in the US, with supporters saying it is a sign of their southern heritage while detractors say it is an implicit approval of the country's history of racism.
There were nearly 3000 submissions for the new design, which were narrowed down to five choices in Tuesday's vote.
