List of California state symbols
Official flag, motto, animals and so on
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Most of the officially designated emblems of the state of California are found in sections 420–429.8 of the California Codes.[1] The oldest symbol is the Great Seal, designated in 1849. The most recently designated symbol is the Giant garter snake, designated in 2025.
Insignia
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flag | The Bear Flag | 1911 |  |
| Seal | The Great Seal of the State of California | 1849 |  |
| Motto | "Eureka" | 1963 | |
| Nicknames | Golden State | 1968 | |
| Song | "I Love You, California" | 1989 |  |
Animals
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amphibian | California red-legged frog Rana draytonii |
2014[2][3] |  |
| Animal | California grizzly bear Ursus arctos californicus |
1958[4] |  |
| Bat | Pallid bat
Antrozous pallidus |
2024[5][6] |  |
| Bird | California quail Callipepla californica |
1931[7][8] |  |
| Crustacean | Dungeness crab Metacarcinus magister |
2024[9][10] |  |
| Dinosaur | Augustynolophus | 2017[11] |  |
| Freshwater fish | Golden trout Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita |
1947[12] |  |
| Insect | California dogface butterfly Colias eurydice |
1972[13] |  |
| Marine fish | Garibaldi Hypsypops rubicundus |
2002[14] |  |
| Marine mammal | Gray whale Eschrichtius robustus |
1975[15] |  |
| Marine reptile | Leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea |
2012[16] |  |
| Reptile | Desert tortoise Gopherus agassizi |
2012[17] |  |
| Slug | Banana slug
Genus Ariolimax |
2024[9][18] |  |
| Snake | Giant garter snake
Thamnophis gigas |
2025[19] |  |
Plants
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flower | Golden poppy Eschscholzia californica |
1903[20] |  |
| Fruit | Avocado Persea americana |
2013[21][notes 1] |  |
| Grass | Purple needlegrass Stipa pulchra (formerly Nassella pulchra) |
2004[22] |  |
| Lichen | Lace lichen Ramalina menziesii |
2015[23] |  |
| Mushroom | California Golden Chanterelle
Cantharellus californicus |
2023[24][25] |  |
| Nuts | Almond, Walnut, Pistachio, and Pecan | 2017[26] |  |
| Shrub | Bigberry manzanita
Arctostaphylos glauca |
2025[19] |  |
| Trees | California Redwood Sequoia sempervirens & Sequoiadendron giganteum |
1953[27] |  |
| Vegetable | Artichoke Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus |
2013[21][notes 2] |  |
Geology
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fossil | Saber-toothed cat Smilodon californicus |
2017[28] |  |
| Gemstone | Benitoite | 1985[29] |  |
| Mineral | Gold | 1965[30] |  |
| Rock | Serpentine | 1965[31] |  |
| Seashell | Black abalone
Haliotis cracherodii |
2024[32] | _(Coos_Bay,_Oregon,_USA)_(24200213945).jpg) |
| Soil | San Joaquin | 1997[33] |  |
Culture and history
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colors | Blue and gold | 2017[34] |  |
| Dance | West Coast Swing | 1988[35] |  |
| Fabric | Denim | 2016[36][37] |  |
| Fife and drum band | California Consolidated Drum Band | 1997[38] | |
| Folk dance | Square dance | 1988[39] |  |
| Gold rush ghost town | Bodie | 2002[40] |  |
| Historical society | California Historical Society | 1979[41] |  |
| LGBTQ Veterans Memorial | LGBTQ Veterans Memorial at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City | 2018[42] | |
| Military museum | California State Military Museum | 2004[43] |  |
| Outdoor play | The Ramona Pageant | 1993[44] |  |
| Prehistoric artifact | Chipped Stone Bear | 1991[45][46] | |
| Silver rush ghost town | Calico | 2005[47] |  |
| Sport | Surfing | 2018[48] |  |
| Tall ship | Californian | 2003[49] |  |
| Tartan | California state tartan | 2001[50] |  |
| Theater | Pasadena Playhouse | 1937[51] |  |
| Vietnam veterans memorial | California Vietnam Veterans Memorial | 2014[52][53] |
See also
Notes
- In a proclamation as acting governor, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared the avocado State fruit. It is not in the legislature.
- In a proclamation as acting governor, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared the cauliflower State vegetable. It is not in the legislature.