You may be familiar with North Carolina’s state bird, the cardinal. But did you know that the state also has more than 60 other official symbols?
Some of these symbols are more in line with what you might imagine as symbols of a state; an official color, bird, tree, flower and other things you might already associate with N.C. However, the list goes on, naming a carnivorous plant, breeds of marsupials, salamanders, salt water fish and even an official state vegetable.
NCpedia.org, a source for information on the Tar Heel State overseen by the NC Government and Heritage Library, compiled extensive information on the state’s symbols, providing information on each on ncpedia.org/symbols.
Here are some of N.C.’s interesting official designations, from birds to beverages, frogs to fruits and beyond.
More: US News & World Report releases its best states rankings: See North Carolina rating, top 10
What is North Carolina’s state flower? Tree?
N.C. has a number of regional symbols and official adoptions in the plant category, including fruits and vegetables. To name a few:
Berries: Strawberry, blueberry
Carnivorous plant: Venus flytrap
Wildflower: Carolina lily
A dogwood tree bloom.
What is NC’s official motto?
Esse Quam Videri, a latin phrase meaning “to be rather than to seem,” was adopted as N .C.’s official motto in 1893. NCpedia adds that at the time, N.C. was one of the few states without a motto, and the only state among the original 13 without one.
More: These 2 Western NC rivers were named among America’s 11 most endangered historic places
What is North Carolina’s state butterfly? Bird? Reptile?
Animals (insects included) are another big category among N.C.’s official state symbols. Some of these include:
Butterfly: Eastern tiger swallowtail
Freshwater trout: Southern Appalachian brook trout
Frog: Pine Barren treefrog
Horse: Colonial Spanish mustang
Marsupial: Virginia opossum
Reptile: Eastern box turtle
Salamander: Marbled salamander
Salt water fish: Channel bass
Marbled salamanders “Bubbles” and “Bean” pictured in 2022 at the WNC Nature Center.
What are NC’s official state colors?
NCpedia states that, until the early 1940s, the colors of the University of North Carolina – blue and white – were generally accepted as the state’s unofficial colors. In 1945, the State Colors bill was introduced, designating the shades of red and blue appearing in N.C.’s State flag as the official state colors.
The bill also mentioned that, at the time, N.C. was “one of only a few states that has not adopted official state colors,” and added “there is widespread sentiment among the school children of the State and its citizens generally looking to the adoption of suitable and appropriate colors as official colors for the State.”
More: AccuWeather’s 2025 wildfire risk report: Carolinas face major ongoing concerns
What is NC’s state shell? Fossil?
Beyond plants and animals, further categories found in nature are also present among N.C.’s long list of official symbols including:
Fossil: Megalodon shark teeth
Does NC have a state song? Dance?
The lyrics to N.C.’s state song, titled “The Old North State,” were written by Judge William Gaston of the N.C. supreme court, in 1835. It was adopted as the state’s official song in 1927.
The state also has two official state dances: Clogging was designated as the official folk dance in 2005, the same year in which “shagging” was designated as the official popular dance.
More: Asheville ranks among top 10 cities in the Southeast for livability: Here’s why
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: What is North Carolina’s state animal? More about NC state symbols