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State Symbols 2024
The World's Fair of 1893 was held in Chicago. In preparation for the event, there was something called the National Garland of Flowers that was created for the sake of representing every US state at the World's Fair. The garland was comprised of flowers for each of the fifty states, and at the time, the flowers were not necessarily considered state symbols. Instead, the National Garland of Flowers inspired the concept of state symbols. From there, state symbols such as trees, birds, songs, and, of course, flowers were born.
Believe it or not, even though state symbols seem mighty official, there is no actual process for selecting the state symbols in America. Take the official state dog of the state of Delaware as a perfect example.
On August 3 of 2016, the official state dog of Delaware was announced, making the golden retriever the state dog of Delaware. The way the state dog was selected was very simple and quite humorous. A group of fourth graders sent in letters to Delaware legislators, pleading with them to make the golden retriever the state's official dog.
They had been learning about state symbols in school at the time, and one of their class assignments was to mail letters to the government regarding the state symbols. The lawmakers received the letters and put their plea to a vote, which ultimately resulted in the golden retriever becoming the official state dog of Delaware.
Another example of the casual ways by which state symbols are chosen has to do with the official state dinosaur of the state of Arkansas. In 2013, a boy by the name of Mason Cypress Oury of Fayetteville County decided to embark on a campaign. He wanted the state dinosaur of Arkansas to officially be named as the Arkansaurus fridayi. Using social media, Oury was able to spread the word and the governor of Arkansas, Governor Hutchinson, signed a document that officially made the Arkansaurus fridayi the state dinosaur in 2017.
Without further ado, here are the state symbols of the United States of America. Below, you will find the state songs, birds, trees, and flowers of all fifty US states.
Alabama
- Song: Alabama
- Bird: Yellowhammer
- Tree: Southern longleaf pine tree
- Flower: Camellias
Alaska
- Song: Alaska’s Flag
- Bird: Willow ptarmigan
- Tree: Sitka spruce tree
- Flower: Forget-me-nots
Arizona
- Song: Arizona
- Bird: Cactus wren
- Tree: Palo verde
- Flower: Flower of saguaro cacti
Arkansas
- Song: Arkansas
- Bird: Mockingbird
- Tree: Pine tree
- Flower: Apple blossoms
California
- Song: I Love You, California
- Bird: California valley quail
- Tree: California redwoods
- Flower: Golden poppies
Colorado
- Song: Where the Columbines Grow
- Bird: Lark bunting
- Tree: Colorado blue spruce trees
- Flower: Rocky Mountain columbines
Connecticut
- Song: Yankee Doodle
- Bird: American robins
- Tree: White oak trees
- Flower: Mountain laurels
Delaware
- Song: Our Delaware
- Bird: Blue hen chicken
- Tree: American holly trees
- Flower: Peach blossoms
Florida
- Song: Suwannee River
- Bird: Mockingbird
- Tree: Sabal palm trees
- Flower: Orange blossoms
Georgia
- Song: Georgia on my Mind
- Bird: Brown thrashers
- Tree: Live oak trees
- Flower: Cherokee roses
Hawaii
- Song: Hawaii Ponoi
- Bird: Hawaiian geese
- Tree: Candlenut trees
- Flower: Yellow hibiscuses
Idaho
- Song: Here We Have Idaho
- Bird: Mountain bluebirds
- Tree: White pine trees
- Flower: Syringas
Illinois
- Song: Illinois
- Bird: Cardinals
- Tree: White oak trees
- Flower: Violets
Indiana
- Song: On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
- Bird: Cardinals
- Tree: Tulip trees
- Flower: Peonies
Iowa
- Song: Song of Iowa
- Bird: Eastern goldfinches
- Tree: Bur oak trees
- Flower: Wild roses
Kansas
- Song: Home on the Range
- Bird: Western meadowlarks
- Tree: Cottonwood trees
- Flower: Sunflowers
Kentucky
- Song: My Old Kentucky Home
- Bird: Kentucky cardinals
- Tree: Tulip poplars
- Flower: Goldenrods
Louisiana
- Song: You Are My Sunshine
- Bird: Eastern brown pelicans
- Tree: Bald cypress trees
- Flower: Magnolias
Maine
- Song: State of Maine Song
- Bird: Chickadees
- Tree: White pine trees
- Flower: White pine cones and tassels
Maryland
- Song: Maryland! My Maryland!
- Bird: Baltimore orioles
- Tree: White oak trees
- Flower: Black-eyed susans
Massachusetts
- Song: All Hail to Massachusetts
- Bird: Chickadees
- Tree: American elm trees
- Flower: Mayflowers
Michigan
- Song: My Michigan
- Bird: Robins
- Tree: White pine trees
- Flower: Apple blossoms
Minnesota
- Song: Hail Minnesota
- Bird: Common loons
- Tree: Red pine trees
- Flower: Lady slippers
Mississippi
- Song: Go, Mississippi
- Bird: Mockingbirds
- Tree: Magnolia trees
- Flower: Evergreen magnolias
Missouri
- Song: Missouri Waltz
- Bird: Bluebirds
- Tree: Flowering dogwood trees
- Flower: Hawthorns
Montana
- Song: Montana
- Bird: Western meadowlark
- Tree: Ponderosa pine trees
- Flower: Bitterroots
Nebraska
- Song: Beautiful Nebraska
- Bird: Western meadowlarks
- Tree: Cottonwood trees
- Flower: Goldenrods
Nevada
- Song: Home Means Nevada
- Bird: Mountain bluebirds
- Tree: Single-leaf pinyon trees
- Flower: Sagebrush
New Hampshire
- Song: Old New Hampshire
- Bird: Purple finches
- Tree: White birch trees
- Flower: Purple lilacs
New Jersey
- Song: No current state song
- Bird: Eastern goldfinches
- Tree: Red oak trees
- Flower: Purple violets
New Mexico
- Song: O Fair New Mexico
- Bird: Roadrunners
- Tree: Pinons
- Flower: Yuccas
New York
- Song: I Love New York
- Bird: Bluebirds
- Tree: Sugar maple trees
- Flower: Roses
North Carolina
- Song: The Old North State
- Bird: Cardinals
- Tree: Pine trees
- Flower: Dogwoods
North Dakota
- Song: North Dakota Hymn
- Bird: Western meadowlarks
- Tree: American elm trees
- Flower: Wild prairie roses
Ohio
- Song: Beautiful Ohio
- Bird: Cardinals
- Tree: Buckeye trees
- Flower: Scarlet carnations
Oklahoma
- Song: Oklahoma
- Bird: Scissor-tailed flycatcher
- Tree: Redbuds
- Flower: Mistletoes
Oregon
- Song: Oregon, My Oregon
- Bird: Western meadowlarks
- Tree: Douglas fir trees
- Flower: Oregon grapes
Pennsylvania
- Song: Pennsylvania
- Bird: Ruffled grouses
- Tree: Hemlock trees
- Flower: Mountain laurels
Rhode Island
- Song: Rhode Island, It’s For Me
- Bird: Rhode Island red hens
- Tree: Red maple trees
- Flower: Violets
South Carolina
- Song: Carolina
- Bird: Carolina wrens
- Tree: Palmetto trees
- Flower: Carolina yellow jessamines
South Dakota
- Song: Hail! South Dakota!
- Bird: Ring-necked pheasants
- Tree: Black hills spruce trees
- Flower: American pasqueflowers
Tennessee
- Song: Rocky Top
- Bird: Mockingbirds
- Tree: Tulip poplar trees
- Flower: Irises
Texas
- Song: Texas, Our Texas
- Bird: Mockingbirds
- Tree: Pecan trees
- Flower: Bluebonnets
Utah
- Song: Utah, We Love Thee
- Bird: California gulls
- Tree: Blue spruce trees
- Flower: Sego lillies
Vermont
- Song: These Green Mountains
- Bird: Hermit thrushes
- Tree: Sugar maple trees
- Flower: Red clovers
Virginia
- Song: Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
- Bird: Cardinals
- Tree: Dogwood trees
- Flower: American dogwoods
Washington
- Song: Washington, My Home
- Bird: Willow goldfinches
- Tree: Western hemlock trees
- Flower: Coast rhododendrons
West Virginia
- Song: Take Me Home Country Roads
- Bird: Cardinals
- Tree: Sugar maple trees
- Flower: Rhododendrons
Wisconsin
- Song: On Wisconsin
- Bird: Robins
- Tree: Sugar maple trees
- Flower: Wood violets
Wyoming
- Song: Wyoming
- Bird: Western meadowlarks
- Tree: Cottonwood trees
- Flower: Indian paintbrushes
State | State Bird | State Tree | State Flower | State Song | Additional State Symbols |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yellowhammer | Southern longleaf pine tree | Camellias | Alabama |
|
| Alaska | Willow ptarmigan | Sitka spruce tree | Forget-me-nots | Alaska’s Flag |
|
| Washington | Willow goldfinches | Western hemlock trees | Coast rhododendrons | Washington, My Home |
|
| Kansas | Western meadowlarks | Cottonwood trees | Sunflowers | Home on the Range |
|
| Nebraska | Western meadowlarks | Cottonwood trees | Goldenrods | Beautiful Nebraska |
|
| North Dakota | Western meadowlarks | American elm trees | Wild prairie roses | North Dakota Hymn |
|
| Oregon | Western meadowlarks | Douglas fir trees | Oregon grapes | Oregon, My Oregon |
|
| Wyoming | Western meadowlarks | Cottonwood trees | Indian paintbrushes | Wyoming |
|
| Montana | Western meadowlark | Ponderosa pine trees | Bitterroots | Montana |
|
| Oklahoma | Scissor-tailed flycatcher | Redbuds | Mistletoes | Oklahoma |
|
| Pennsylvania | Ruffled grouses | Hemlock trees | Mountain laurels | Pennsylvania |
|
| Michigan | Robins | White pine trees | Apple blossoms | My Michigan |
|
| Wisconsin | Robins | Sugar maple trees | Wood violets | On Wisconsin |
|
| New Mexico | Roadrunners | Pinons | Yuccas | O Fair New Mexico |
|
| South Dakota | Ring-necked pheasants | Black hills spruce trees | American pasqueflowers | Hail! South Dakota! |
|
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island red hens | Red maple trees | Violets | Rhode Island, It’s For Me |
|
| New Hampshire | Purple finches | White birch trees | Purple lilacs | Old New Hampshire |
|
| Idaho | Mountain bluebirds | White pine trees | Syringas | Here We Have Idaho |
|
| Nevada | Mountain bluebirds | Single-leaf pinyon trees | Sagebrush | Home Means Nevada |
|
| Mississippi | Mockingbirds | Magnolia trees | Evergreen magnolias | Go, Mississippi |
|
| Tennessee | Mockingbirds | Tulip poplar trees | Irises | Rocky Top |
|
| Texas | Mockingbirds | Pecan trees | Bluebonnets | Texas, Our Texas |
|
| Arkansas | Mockingbird | Pine tree | Apple blossoms | Arkansas |
|
| Florida | Mockingbird | Sabal palm trees | Orange blossoms | Suwannee River |
|
| Colorado | Lark bunting | Colorado blue spruce trees | Rocky Mountain columbines | Where the Columbines Grow |
|
| Kentucky | Kentucky cardinals | Tulip poplars | Goldenrods | My Old Kentucky Home | |
| Vermont | Hermit thrushes | Sugar maple trees | Red clovers | These Green Mountains |
|
| Hawaii | Hawaiian geese | Candlenut trees | Yellow hibiscuses | Hawaii Ponoi | |
| Iowa | Eastern goldfinches | Bur oak trees | Wild roses | Song of Iowa |
|
| New Jersey | Eastern goldfinches | Red oak trees | Purple violets | No current state song |
|
| Louisiana | Eastern brown pelicans | Bald cypress trees | Magnolias | You Are My Sunshine |
|
| Minnesota | Common loons | Red pine trees | Lady slippers | Hail Minnesota |
|
| Maine | Chickadees | White pine trees | White pine cones and tassels | State of Maine Song |
|
| Massachusetts | Chickadees | American elm trees | Mayflowers | All Hail to Massachusetts |
|
| South Carolina | Carolina wrens | Palmetto trees | Carolina yellow jessamines | Carolina | |
| Illinois | Cardinals | White oak trees | Violets | Illinois |
|
| Indiana | Cardinals | Tulip trees | Peonies | On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away |
|
| North Carolina | Cardinals | Pine trees | Dogwoods | The Old North State |
|
| Ohio | Cardinals | Buckeye trees | Scarlet carnations | Beautiful Ohio |
|
| Virginia | Cardinals | Dogwood trees | American dogwoods | Carry Me Back to Old Virginny |
|
| West Virginia | Cardinals | Sugar maple trees | Rhododendrons | Take Me Home Country Roads |
|
| California | California valley quail | California redwoods | Golden poppies | I Love You, California |
|
| Utah | California gulls | Blue spruce trees | Sego lillies | Utah, We Love Thee |
|
| Arizona | Cactus wren | Palo verde | Flower of saguaro cacti | Arizona |
|
| Georgia | Brown thrashers | Live oak trees | Cherokee roses | Georgia on my Mind |
|
| Missouri | Bluebirds | Flowering dogwood trees | Hawthorns | Missouri Waltz |
|
| New York | Bluebirds | Sugar maple trees | Roses | I Love New York |
|
| Delaware | Blue hen chicken | American holly trees | Peach blossoms | Our Delaware |
|
| Maryland | Baltimore orioles | White oak trees | Black-eyed susans | Maryland! My Maryland! |
|
| Connecticut | American robins | White oak trees | Mountain laurels | Yankee Doodle |
|