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This is a list of the officially designated symbols of the U.S. state of New Mexico. Most such designations are found in §12.3 of the New Mexico Statutes.[1][2] The majority of the items in the list are officially recognized after a law is passed by the state legislature. New Mexico is the first state to adopt a state question: "Red or green?," referring to chile peppers. The state also has a prescribed answer: "Red and green" or "Christmas," encouraging the use of both colors of chile.
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- Flag: Flag of New Mexico (1925)[3]
- Seal: Seal of New Mexico (1913)
- Motto: Crescit eundo, It Grows as it Goes (Latin). (1887)[4][N 1]
- Nickname: Land of Enchantment; Spanish: Tierra del Encanto, or Tierra Encantada (1999)[5][N 2]
- Slogan: "Everybody is somebody in New Mexico" (1975)
- Question: "Red or Green?" (1999) – see New Mexico state question[N 3]
- Answer: "Red and Green" or "Christmas". (2007)[1][6]
- State Song: O Fair New Mexico, Elizabeth Garrett (1917)[8]
- Spanish Language State Song: Así Es Nuevo México, Amadeo Lucero (1971)[9]
- Ballad: Land Of Enchantment, Michael Martin Murphey (1989)[10]
- Bilingual Song: New Mexico - Mi Lindo Nuevo México, Pablo Mares (1995)[11]
- Cowboy Song: Under the New Mexico Skies, Syd Masters (2009)[12]
- Flower: Yucca flower[N 5] (1927)[13]
- Tree: Two-needle piñon pine (Pinus edulis) (1949)[14]
- Grass: Blue grama (Bouteloua gracillis) (1973)[15]
- Amphibian: New Mexico spadefoot toad (Spea multiplicata) (2003)
- Animal: New Mexico black bear (1963)
- Bird: Chaparral bird (greater roadrunner) (1949)
- Butterfly: Sandia hairstreak (2003)
- Fish: Rio Grande cutthroat trout (1955)
- Insect: Tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis grossa) (1989)
- Reptile: New Mexico whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus neomexicanus) (2003)[18]
- Fossil: Coelophysis (1981)
- Gem: Turquoise (1967)
| Type | Symbol | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Historic Railroad | Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad[19] | 2005 |
| Necklace | The Squash Blossom Necklace[20] | 2011 |
| Guitar | New Mexico Sunrise, a custom guitar designed and handcrafted by Pimentel and Sons[21] | 2009 |
| Ballad | Land of Enchantment, Spanish: Tierra del Encanto, or Tierra Encantada | 1989 |
| Poem | Spanish: A Nuevo México, To New Mexico | 1991 |
| Tie | Bolo tie | 2007 |
| Ship | USS New Mexico (BB-40) | 1918–1946 |
| USS New Mexico (SSN-779) | 2008 | |
| Aircraft | Hot air balloon, symbol of Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta | 2005[5] |
| Aroma | The aroma of green chile roasting[22] | 2023[23] |
| Clean-up Mascot | Dusty Roadrunner[24] | 1969[25] |
- "Land of Enchantment" was first coined by Lillian Whiting in a book on the state in 1906. The slogan later appeared on New Mexico license plates in 1941; a trademark was obtained by the state in 1947. It was not until June 18, 1999, that the phrase was adopted as the official nickname.[5]
- The official state question refers to a question commonly heard at restaurants, where waiters will ask customers "red or green?" in reference to which kind of chili pepper or chile sauce the customers wants served with their meal.
- Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in United States and the oldest European community located west of the Mississippi. While Santa Fe was inhabited on a very small scale in 1607, it was truly settled by the conquistador Don Pedro de Peralta in 1609-1610. [7]
- No species name is listed in state statutes, however the New Mexico Centennial Blue Book from 2012 references the soaptree yucca (Yucca elata) as one of the more widespread species in New Mexico.
- The chile's declared binomial name Capsicum annum L. has over 200 variations within the species. Community sentiment has it that the New Mexico chile (Capsicum annuum 'New Mexico Group') is the official chile, including having this chile appear on one of New Mexico's alternative license plates beginning in 2017.
- "State Symbols". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- "state symbols of New Mexico in New Mexico". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
- Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. "State Symbols" (PDF). New Mexico Centennial Blue Book 2012 (PDF). Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. pp. 138–168. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2012-12-27. (PDF)
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