Welcome to the Peach State! Georgia has a dozen animal symbols, ranging from the brown thrasher to the mighty right whale. However, they can’t compete with its plant symbols, which include the beautiful Cherokee rose and the lowly peanut. (Continued below)
| Nicknames & Slogans | |||
| Nicknames | The Peach State, Goober State, Empire State of the South | ||
| Symbols of State | |||
| Motto | Wisdom, Justice, Moderation | > | |
| Song | Georgia on My Mind | 1979 | > |
| EcoSymbols | |||
| Flower | Cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata) | 1916 | > |
| Wildflower | azalea (Rhododendron) | 1979 | > |
| Tree | live oak (Quercus virginiana) | 1937 | > |
| Fruit | peach (Prunus persica) | 1995 | > |
| Nut | pecan (Carya illinoinensis) | 2021 | > |
| Vegetable | Vidalia sweet onion (Allium cepa) | 1990 | > |
| Crop | peanut (Arachis hypogaea) | 1995 | > |
| Bird | brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) | 1935 | > |
| Game Bird | bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) | 1970 | > |
| Mammal | white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) | 2015 | > |
| Marine Mammal | right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) | 1985 | > |
| Reptile | gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) | 1989 | > |
| Amphibian | green tree frog (Hyla cinerea) | 2005 | > |
| Fish | largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) | 1970 | > |
| Cold Water Game Fish | southern Appalachian brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) | 2006 | > |
| Saltwater Fish | red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) | 2006 | > |
| Insect | honeybee (Apis mellifera)  |
1975 | > |
| Butterfly | tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) | 1988 | > |
| Seashell | knobbed whelk (Busycon carica) | 1987 | > |
| Mineral | staurolite | 1976 | > |
| Gem | quartz | 1976 | > |
| Fossil † | shark tooth (Elasmobranchii) | 1976 | > |
| Soil | Tifton (unofficial)  |
> | |
| Cultural Symbols | |||
| Prepared Food | grits | 2002 | > |
Beef Cook-Off  |
Official State Barbecue Championship Cook-Off, Hawkinsville | 1987 | > |
| Pork Cook-Off |
Slosheye Trail Big Pig Jig | 1997 | > |
| Peanut Monument | Turner County Peanut Monument | 1998 | > |
| Tartan | Georgia Tartan | 1997 | > |
| Historic House | Old Governor’s Mansion at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville | 2016 | > |
| School | Plains High School | 1997 | > |
| Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center | The Funk Heritage/Bennett Center at Reinhardt College, Waleska | > | |
| Transportation History Museum | Southeastern Railway Museum | 2000 | > |
| Railroad Museum | Historic Railroad Shops | 1996 | > |
| Dog | adoptable dog | 2016 | > |
Poultry Capital of the World  |
(Georgia) | 1995 | > |
| Ballet | Atlanta Ballet | 1973 | > |
| Waltz | Our Georgia | 1951 | > |
| Folk Dance | square dance |
1996 | > |
| Historic Drama | The Reach of Song | 1990 | > |
| Folk Life Play | Swamp Gravy | 1994 | > |
| Theatre | The Springer Opera House | 1971 | > |
| Musical Theatre | Jekyll Island Musical Theatre Festival | 1993 | > |
| Georgia Folk Festival | The Georgia Folk Festival | 1992 | > |
| ‘Possum | Pogo ’Possum (Didelphis-virginiana) | 2002 | > |
| Atlas | Atlas of Georgia | 1985 | > |
| Art Museum | Georgia Museum of Art | 1982 | > |
| Center for Character Education | Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum | 2003 | > |
| Flag Pledge | 1935 | > | |
| Creed | Georgian’s Creed | 1939 | > |
| Language | English |
1996 | > |
However, even the peanut takes a back seat to Georgia’s official fruit, the peach. And who could not be dazzled by the Peach State’s official tree, the majestic live oak?
Georgia boasts one of the most memorable state songs, “Georgia On My Mind.” Unfortunately, legislators threw the state motto—“Wisdom, Justice, Moderation”—out the window when they set out to adopt a new flag. And have you heard about the Vidalia onion conspiracy theory involving Bill Gates?
I prefer my peaches and live oaks organic, thank you.
If you think state flags and flowers are nothing more than trivia, guess again. A thorough exploration of the more than 1,500 items adopted as state symbols embraces geography, history, and psychology.
You have found the best state symbols website, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The introduction above is adapted from Geobop’s State Symbols and My State Symbols Book, by far the biggest and most detailed state symbols references ever. You can learn still more about the symbols of the 50 states in the books Flag Quest and Grading the States. (Learn more about them here.)
After you spend some time exploring your favorite state’s symbols, you can come back here and tell us what you think about them.
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