The governing bodies of each US state has voted to have certain symbols that they feel represents their state the best. Some are interesting or obvious - others are fun or funny. I've compiled the ones for Illinois and Indiana (where my garden articles are published). Illinois will be identified in RED and Indiana identified in BLUE.
State Bird: Both states have the Northern Cardinal "Cardinalis cardinalis".
State Flower: Blue Violet "viola sororia" - Peony "paeonia"
State Nickname/Slogan: Land of Lincoln - Hoosier State
State Motto: State Sovereignty and National Unity - The Crossroads of America
State Tree: White Oak "Quercus alba" - Tulip "Lereodendron tulipifera"
State Insect: Monarch Butterfly "Danaus plexippus" - Say's Firefly "Pyractomena angulata" (proposed)
State Mineral/Stone: Florite - Salem Limestone
State Soil: Drummer's Silty Clay Loam - Miami
State Song: "Illinois - Illinois" - "On the Banks of the Wabash Far Away"
All the following are Illinois and Indiana does not currently have designations:
State Fish: Bluegill "Lepomis macrochirus"
State Prairie Grass: Big Blue stem "Adropogon gerardii"
State Snack Food: Popcorn "Zea mays everta"
State Animal: White-tailed deer "Odocoileus virginianus"
State Reptile: Eastern Painted Turtle "Chrysemys picta"
State Amphibian: Eastern Tiger Salamander "Ambystoma tigrinum"
State Fossil: Fully Monster "Tullimonstrum gregarium"
State Fruit: Apple
Illinois has a State flag, seal and dance.
Indiana has a State flag, seal, beverage, language, pie (Hoosier Sugar Cream), poem and river.
Besides being interesting, gardeners may want to incorporate some of the flora that is a State symbol and may want to work at attracting some of the State critters.
To those that proposed the specific categories, I tend to enjoy many. I put out sunflower seeds and corn for the Northern Cardinals. I have a woods full of old blue violets - where the white-tailed deer visit occasionally. I have the old fashioned peony in many of my garden beds. My tulip tree is doing just fine and this is the second winter for my oaks.
I'm sure a bowl of Illinois popcorn is just what I need (it is a big farm product here). Hoosier Sugar Cream pie is perhaps the most luscious of all pies to the point it is in a category all it's own!
Couple of political observations:
The State of Illinois has many many symbols - I kinda wish they would spend that much time working on ethics and budgeting. . .
The State beverage of Indiana is water - kinda makes you go "hummmmm."
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