State Emblems, Nicknames, Mottos, and Songs

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STATE EMBLEMS, NICKNAMES, MOTTOS, AND SONGS

STATE EMBLEMS, NICKNAMES, MOTTOS, AND SONGS must be adopted officially by action of the legislative bodies of the respective states to which they belong before one properly may designate them as such. The table on pages 532533 lists the state birds, flowers, trees, nicknames, mottos, and songs, although some states have also adopted state gems, state animals, state fish, and so on. Translations of state mottos in languages other than English (Latin, French, Italian, Greak, Spanish, and, in the instance of Washington, Chinook) are also given.

Table 1

State Emblems, Nicknames, Mottos, and Songs
StateBirdFlowerTreeNickname(s)MottoSong
AlabamaYellowhammerCamelliaSouthern pineCotton State; Heart of Dixie; Yellow-hammer StateAudemus jura nostra defendere ("We dare defend our rights")Alabama
AlaskaWillow ptarmiganForget-me-notSitka spruceLand of the Midnight Sun; The Last FrontierNorth to the Future (unofficial)Alaska's Flag
ArizonaCactus wrenSaguaro cactusPaloverdeGrand Canyon StateDitat Deus ("God enriches")Arizona
ArkansasMockingbirdApple blossomShort-leaf pineLand of Opportunity; The Natural StateRegnat populus ("The people rule")Arkansas
CaliforniaValley quailGolden poppyRedwoodGolden StateEureka ("I have found it")I Love You, California
ColoradoLark buntingColumbineBlue spruceCentennial StateNil sine numine ("Nothing without Providence")Where the Columbines Grow
ConnecticutAmerican robinMountain laurelWhite oakConstitution State; Nutmeg StateQui transtulit sustinet ("He who transplanted still sustains")(none)
DelawareBlue hen chickenPeach blossomAmerican hollyDiamond State; First StateLiberty and IndependenceOur Delaware
FloridaMockingbirdOrange blossomSabal palmSunshine State; Peninsula StateIn God We TrustThe Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)
GeorgiaBrown thrasherCherokee roseLive oakEmpire State of the South; Peach StateWisdom, Justice, ModerationGeorgia on My Mind
HawaiiHawaiian goose (nene)Hibiscus (Pua Aloalo)Candlenut (Kukui)Aloha State; Paradise of the PacificUa mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono ("The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness")Hawaii Ponoi
IdahoMountain bluebirdSyringaWhite pineGem StateEsto perpetua ("May she endure forever")Here We Have Idaho
IllinoisCardinalButterfly violetWhite oakPrairie StateState Sovereignty, National UnionIllinois
IndianaCardinalPeonyTulip treeHoosier StateCrossroads of AmericaOn the Banks of the Wabash Far Away
IowaEastern goldfinchCarolina wild roseOakHawkeye StateOur Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will MaintainThe Song of Iowa
KansasWestern meadowlarkSunflowerCottonwoodJayhawker State; Sunflower StateAd astra per aspera ("To the stars through difficulties")Home on the Range
KentuckyCardinalGoldenrodTulip poplarBluegrass StateUnited We Stand, Divided We FallMy Old Kentucky Home
LouisianaPelicanMagnoliaBald cypressCreole State; Pelican StateUnion, Justice, and ConfidenceGive Me Louisiana; You Are My Sunshine
MaineChickadeePine cone and tasselWhite pineLumber State; Pine Tree StateDirigo ("I lead")State of Maine Song
MarylandBaltimore orioleBlack-eyed SusanWhite oakOld Line StateFatti maschii, parole femine ("Manly deeds, womanly words")Maryland, My Maryland
MassachusettsChickadeeMayflowerAmerican elmBay State; Old Bay State; Old Colony StateEnse petit placidam sub libertate quietem ("By the sword she seeks peace under liberty")Massachusetts
MichiganRobinApple blossomWhite pineWolverine StateSi quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice ("If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you")Michigan, My Michigan (unofficial)
MinnesotaLoonPink and white lady's slipperRed or Norway pineGopher State; North Star StateL'Etoile du Nord ("The North Star")Hail! Minnesota
MississippiMockingbirdMagnoliaMagnoliaMagnolia StateVirtute et armis ("By Valor and Arms")Go, Mississippi
MissouriBluebirdHawthornDogwoodShow Me StateSclus populi suprema lex esto ("Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law")Missouri Waltz
MontanaWestern meadowlarkBitterrootPonderosa pineTreasure StateOro y plata ("Gold and silver")Montana
[continued]

Table 1

State Emblems, Nicknames, Mottos, and Songs
StateBirdFlowerTreeNickname(s)MottoSong
NebraskaWestern meadowlarkGoldenrodCottonwoodCornhusker StateEquality Before the LawBeautiful Nebraska
NevadaMountain bluebirdSagebrushSingle-leaf pinon; Bristlecone pineSagebrush State; Silver StateAll For Our CountryHome Means Nevada
New HampshirePurple finchPurple lilacWhite birchGranite StateLive Free or DieOld New Hampshire
New JerseyEastern goldfinchPurple violetRed oakGarden StateLiberty and Prosperity(none)
New MexicoRoadrunnerYuccaPinon (nut pine)Land of Enchantment; Sunshine StateCrescit eundo ("It grows as it goes")O Fair New Mexico
New YorkEastern bluebirdRoseSugar mapleEmpire StateExcelsior ("Ever upward")(none)
North CarolinaCardinalDogwoodPineOld North State; Tar Heel StateEsse quam videri ("To be, rather than to seem")The Old North State
North DakotaWestern meadowlarkPrairie roseAmerican elmFlickertail State; Sioux StateLiberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and InseparableNorth Dakota Hymn
OhioCardinalScarlet carnationBuckeyeBuckeye StateWith God All Things Are PossibleBeautiful Ohio
OklahomaScissor-tailed flycatcherMistletoeRedbudSooner StateLabor omnia vincit ("Labor conquers all things")Oklahoma!
Oregon Western meadowlarkOregon grapeDouglas firBeaver StateShe Flies With Her Own WingsOregon, My Oregon
PennsylvaniaRuffed grouseMountain laurelEastern hemlockKeystone StateVirtue, Liberty, and Independence(none)
Rhode IslandRhode Island redVioletRed mapleLittle RhodyHopeRhode Island's It for Me
South CarolinaCarolina wrenCarolina jessaminePalmettoPalmetto StateAnimis opibusque parati ("Prepared in mind and resources") and Dum spiro spero ("While I breathe, I hope")Carolina
South DakotaRing-necked pheasantPasqueflowerBlack Hills spruceCoyote State; Sunshine StateUnder God the People RuleHail, South Dakota
TennesseeMockingbirdIrisTulip poplarVolunteer StateAgriculture and CommerceTennessee Waltz
TexasMockingbirdBluebonnetPecanLone Star StateFriendshipTexas, Our Texas
UtahSea gullSego lilyBlue spruceBeehive StateIndustryUtah, We Love Thee
VermontHermit thrushRed cloverSugar mapleGreen Mountain StateFreedom and UnityHail, Vermont
VirginiaCardinalAmericanAmericanOld DominionSic semper tyrannis ("ThusCarry Me Back to Old
  dogwooddogwood always to tyrants")Virginia
WashingtonWillow goldfinchRhododendronWestern hemlockEvergreen State; Chinook StateAl-ki ("By and by")Washington, My Home
West VirginiaCardinalRosebay rhododendronSugar mapleMountain StateMontani semper liberi ("Mountaineers are always free men")The West Virginia Hills and West Virginia, My Home, Sweet Home
WisconsinRobinButterfly violetSugar mapleBadger StateForwardOn, Wisconsin!
WyomingWestern meadowlarkIndian paintbrushCottonwoodEquality StateEqual RightsWyoming

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