Welcome to the Volunteer State! Brace yourself: Tennessee has more state symbols than any other state except Texas—and Tennessee is far smaller than Texas. Unlike Texas, Tennessee is landlocked, so it doesn’t have any symbols of the sea. (Continued below)
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| Nicknames & Slogans | |||
| Nicknames | The Volunteer State, Big Bend State, Mother of Southwestern Statesmen | ||
| Slogan | Tennessee—America at Its Best | 1965 | |
| Symbols of State | |||
| Motto | Agriculture and Commerce | 1987 | > |
| Motto | Send Me | 2023 | > |
| Song | My Homeland, Tennessee | 1925 | > |
| EcoSymbols | |||
| Cultivated Flower | iris (Iridaceae) | 1933 | > |
| Wildflower | passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) | 1919 | > |
| Wildflower | Tennessee coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis) | 2012 | > |
| Tree | tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) | 1947 | > |
| Evergreen Tree | eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) | 2012 | > |
| Bicentennial Tree | yellowwood tree (Cladrastis lutea) | 1991 | > |
| Fruit | tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) | 2003 | > |
| Bird | mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) | 1933 | > |
| Game Bird | bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) | 1988 | > |
| Wild Animal | raccoon (Procyon lotor) | 1972 | > |
| Mammal | Tennessee Walking Horse (Equus caballus) | 2000 | > |
| Reptile | eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) | 1995 | > |
| Amphibian | Tennessee cave salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus) | 1995 | > |
| Sport Fish | smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) | 2005 | > |
| (former) | largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) | 1988 | |
| Commercial Fish | channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) | 1988 | > |
| Insect | firefly (Photinus pyralis) | 1975 | > |
| Insect | ladybug (Coccinella) | 1975 | > |
| Butterfly | zebra swallowtail (Protographium marcellus) | 1994 | > |
| Agricultural Insect | honeybee (Apis mellifera)  |
1990 | > |
| Gem | Tennessee pearl (Unionoida) | 1979 | > |
| Rock | limestone | 1979 | > |
| Mineral | agate | 1969 | > |
| Fossil † | Pterotrigonia thoracica | 1998 | > |
| Soil | Dickson | 1998 | > |
| Cultural Symbols | |||
| Symbol | Circular feature of state flag | 2016 | > |
| Railroad Museum | Cowan Railroad Museum, Franklin County | 2007 | > |
| Railroad Museum | Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, Hamilton County | 1978 | > |
| Railroad Library | A.C. Kalmbach Memorial Library | 2004 | > |
| Aviation Hall of Fame | Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame, Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport in Sevier County | 2001 | > |
| Tartan | 1999 | > | |
| Artifact | “Sandy,” Mississippian stone statuary | 2014 | > |
| Beverage | milk |
2009 | > |
| Pet | dogs and cats that are adopted from Tennessee animal shelters and rescues | 2014 | > |
| Botanical Garden | University of Tennessee Botanical Gardens | 2013 | > |
| Site of Freshwater Pearl Culturing | Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Farm and Museum, Camden, Benton County | 2004 | > |
| Folk Dance | square dance |
1980 | > |
| Art Form | songwriting | 2003 | > |
| Song | Rocky Top | 1982 | > |
| Song | The Pride of Tennessee, Tennessee Waltz, When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee | 1996 | > |
| Song | Smoky Mountain Rain | 2010 | > |
| Song | Tennessee (by Vivian Rorie) | 1992 | > |
| Song | Tennessee (by John R. Bean) | 2011 | > |
| Song | The Tennessee in Me | 2023 | > |
| Song | Copperhead Road | 2023 | > |
| Public School Song | My Tennessee | 1955 | > |
| U.S. Bicentennial Song | Fly Eagle, Fly! | 1976 | > |
| U.S. Bicentennial March Song | The Tennessee Salute | 1975 | > |
| Bicentennial Rap Song | A Tennessee Bicentennial Rap | 1996 | > |
| Bicentennial School Song | My Home Will Always Be in Tennessee | 1996 | > |
| Fife and Drum Corps | Watauga Valley Fife and Drum Corps | 2014 | > |
| Theatre | Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville | 1999 | > |
| Outdoor Drama | Production at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area | 2009 | > |
| Poem | Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee | 1973 | > |
| Bicentennial Poem | Who Are We | 1997 | > |
| Cowboy Poet Laureate | David Nelson | 2004 | > |
| Christian Poet Laureate | Colonel Hugh X. Lewis | 2006 | > |
| Painting | “Tennessee Treasures” and “Tennessee Treasures Too,” by Michael Sloan | 2007 | > |
| Fine Art | porcelain painting | 1981 | > |
| Artist | Burton Callicott | 1991 | > |
| Artist-in-Residence | H. R. Lovell | 2000 | > |
| Jamboree and Crafts Festival | The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival – House Joint Resolution 24 | 1997 | > |
| Rifle | Barrett Model M82/M107 | 2016 | > |
| Airplane | Memphis Belle | 2017 | > |
| Flag Salute | 1981 | > | |
| Flag Salute | 1987 | > | |
| Declamation | I Am Tennessee | > | |
| Veterans Poem | “Home To Stay” by the late Jasper N. Bailey | 2014 | > |
| Veterans Poem | “Echoes From a Soldier’s Grave” by Sergeant First Class Ernest E. Sharp | 2016 | > |
| Language | English |
1984 | > |
Surprisingly, right-wing Texas’ symbols are much mellower than Tennessee’s. Although Texans recently adopted an official handgun, Tennessee is the only state with an official sniper rifle!
The Volunteer State’s roster of symbols includes lots of cultural symbols, including a variety of songs and poems. It also has far too many odious political and military symbols, including two official flag salutes and two official veterans poems. Why not adopt two state flags?
Tennessee’s official airplane is the Memphis Belle, of World War II fame. This airborne monster ranks as one of history’s greatest killing machines. For an encore, Tennesseans designated a sniper rifle (the Barrett Model M82/M107) their official rifle. Why not cap it off with an official biochemical weapon?
Even the nickname Volunteer State reeks of war. It recalls the Tennesseans who volunteered to participate in the invasion of Mexico, which was an orgy of rape, torture, and slaughter. Is the Tennessee cave salamander the only symbol we can admire?
On a positive note, Tennessee’s flag is considered one of the finest state flags. The red field is the perfect symbol of all the blood that has been shed by the U.S. military.
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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