Welcome to the Sunflower State? You can’t wade through Kansas’ numerous nicknames without scratching your head. Are those monikers depressing, scary, or exciting? (Continued below)
| Nicknames & Slogans | |||
| Nicknames | Sunflower State, Cyclone State, Grasshopper State, Bleeding Kansas, Jayhawk State, Jayhawker State, Wheat State, Garden State, Garden of the West | ||
| Symbols of State | |||
| Motto | Ad Astra per Aspera | > | |
| Song | Home on the Range | 1947 | > |
| EcoSymbols | |||
| Flower | native sunflower (Helianthus annuus) | 1903 | > |
| Tree | cottonwood (Populus deltoides) | 1937 | > |
| Grass | little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) | 2010 | > |
| Fruit | sandhill plum (Prunus angustifolia) | 2022 | > |
| Red Wine Grape | Chambourcin (Vitis vinifera) | 2022 | > |
| White Wine Grape | Vignoles (Vitis vinifera) | 2022 | > |
| Bird | western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) | 1937 | > |
| Animal | bison (Bison bison) | 1955 | > |
| Reptile | ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata) | 1986 | > |
| Amphibian | barred tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) | 1994 | > |
| Fish | channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) | 2018 | > |
| Insect | honeybee (Apis mellifera)  |
1976 | > |
| Mineral | galena | 2018 | > |
| Gem | jelinite | 2018 | > |
| Rock | limestone | 2018 | > |
| Flying Fossil † | Pteranodon | 2014 | > |
| Marine Fossil † | Tylosaurus | 2014 | > |
| Land Fossil † | Silvisaurus condrayi | 2023 | > |
| Soil | Harney Silt Loam | 1990 | > |
| Cultural Symbols | |||
| Firefighter’s Museum | Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial | 2007 | > |
| March | Here’s Kansas | 1992 | > |
| March | The Kansas March | 1935 | > |
| Theater | Jayhawk Theater | > | |
| Language | English |
2007 | > |
Well, there’s no need to be scared, because the Civil War, locust plagues, and Dust Bowl are behind us. Of course, our generation has to deal with climate change, which means there could be more dangerous weather ahead.
However, we can always take heart in Kansas’ official tourist tagline, “To the Stars.” And who isn’t cheered up by Kansas’ state flower, the bold sunflower?
Brown and yellow have been described as Kansas’ unofficial colors. They are shared by the sunflower, the state bird (meadowlark), reptile (box turtle), and amphibian (tiger salamander).
Between its familiar state song (“Home on the Range”), three state fossils, and that magical movie Wizard of Oz, Kansas’ symbols won’t let you sit still.
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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