Welcome to the Land of Enchantment! Few states are represented by symbols that are more unique or exciting. (Continued below)
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| Nicknames & Slogans | |||
| Nicknames | Land of Enchantment | 1999 | |
| Slogan | Everybody is Somebody in New Mexico | 1975 | |
| Symbols of State | |||
| Motto | Crescit Eundo | > | |
| Song | O’ Fair New Mexico | 1917 | > |
| EcoSymbols | |||
| Flower | yucca flower (Yucca) | 1927 | > |
| Tree | pinyon (Pinus edulis) | 1948 | > |
| Grass | blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) | 1973 | > |
| Vegetables | chile & frijole (pinto bean) (Phaseolus vulgaris) | 1965 | > |
| Bird | roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) | 1949 | > |
| Animal | black bear (Ursus americanus) | 1963 | > |
| Reptile | New Mexico whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus neomexicanus) | 2003 | > |
| Amphibian | New Mexico spadefoot toad (Spea multiplicata) | 2003 | > |
| Fish | New Mexico or Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis) | 1955 | > |
| Insect | tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis formosa) | 1989 | > |
| Butterfly | Sandia hairstreak (Callophrys mcfarlandi) | 2003 | > |
| Gem | turquoise | 1967 | > |
| Fossil † | Coelophysis | 1981 | > |
| Soil | Penistaja (unofficial)  |
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| Cultural Symbols | |||
| Colors | red and yellow of Old Spain | 1925 | > |
| Question | Red or green? | 1999 | > |
| Answer | Red or green or Christmas | 2007 | > |
| Aroma | roasting green chile | 2023 | > |
| Tie | bolo | 2007 | > |
| Necklace | Native American squash blossom necklace | 2011 | > |
| Cookie | biscochito | 1989 | > |
| Aircraft | hot air balloon | 2005 | > |
| Balloon Museum | Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum | 1999 | > |
| Historic Railroad | Cumbres and Toltec scenic railroad | 2005 | > |
| State Folklorist | > | ||
| Ballad | Land of Enchantment — New Mexico | 1989 | > |
| Spanish Language Song | Asi es Nuevo Mexico | 1971 | > |
| Bilingual Song | New Mexico — Mi Lindo Nuevo Mexico | 1995 | > |
| Cowboy Song | “Under New Mexico Skies,” composed by Syd Masters | 2009 | > |
| Guitar | New Mexico sunrise guitar | 2009 | > |
| Poem | A Nuevo Mexico | 1991 | > |
| Flag Salute | 1963 | > | |
In one notable survey, New Mexico’s flag was ranked #1 among state flags. Only New Mexico calls the yucca, roadrunner, and tarantula hawk wasp its state flower, bird, and insect, respectively.
New Mexico is the home of the original Smokey Bear. It also boasts the oldest dinosaur adopted as a state fossil.
What better way to survey the Land of Enchantment than to take a ride in a hot air balloon, the official state aircraft? After your adventure, you can have a zesty meal of chiles and frijoles (pinto beans), the official state vegetables. Question: Do you think New Mexicans should change their official colors from red and yellow to red and green?
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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