List of Alabama state symbols

The state of Alabama has a total of 41 official state emblems. The oldest symbol is the Alabama State Bible, from 1853.^[1] The most recently designated symbol is the Little Bluestem, Alabama's state native grass, established in 2024.

State symbols of Alabama

List of state symbols
Flag of Alabama
Seal of Alabama
Coat of arms of Alabama
Motto	Audemus jura nostra defendere
Song	"Alabama"
Foundation day	December 14, 1814 (1814-12-14)
Living insignia
Amphibian	Red Hills salamander
Bird	Yellowhammer
Butterfly	Monarch butterfly
Fish	Saltwater fish: Atlantic tarpon Freshwater fish: Largemouth bass
Flower	Camellia
Fruit	Blackberry
Horse breed	Racking horse
Mammal	American black bear
Mascot	Eastern tiger swallowtail
Reptile	Alabama red-bellied turtle
Tree	Southern longleaf pine
Vegetable	Sweet potato
Inanimate insignia
Drink	Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey
Folk dance	Square dance
Fossil	Basilosaurus
Game	Wild turkey
Gemstone	Star blue quartz
Mineral	Hematite
Rock	Marble
Shell	Johnstone's junonia
Ship	USS Alabama
Soil	Bama
Sweet	Cookie: Yellowhammer cookie Cake: Lane cake
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 2003
Lists of United States state symbols

Location of the state of Alabama in the United States of America

Alabama does not have an official nickname, although "Heart of Dixie" was strongly promoted by the Alabama Chamber of Commerce in the 1940s and 1950s, and put on state license plates.^[2][3]

Insignia

Further information: List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Bible	The Alabama State Bible	1853[1]
Great Seal	The Seal of Alabama	1876[4]
Flag	The flag of Alabama	1895[5]
Coat of arms	The coat of arms of Alabama	1939[6]
Military Crest	The State Military Crest of Alabama
Motto	Audemus jura nostra defendere We dare defend our rights	1939[7]
Creed	Alabama state creed	1939[8]
Mascot	Eastern tiger swallowtail	1989[9]

Species

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Bird	Yellowhammer (yellow-shafted flicker) Colaptes auratus	1933[10]
Saltwater fish	Atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus	1955[11]
Flower	Camellia[12] Camellia japonica L.	1959[13]
Horse	Racking Horse Equus caballus	1975[14]
Freshwater fish	Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides	1975[15]
Game bird	Wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo	1980[16]
Nut	Pecan Carya illinoinensis	1982[17]
Butterfly	Eastern tiger swallowtail Papilio glaucus	1989[9]
Insect	Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus	1989[18]
Reptile	Alabama red-bellied turtle Pseudemys alabamensis	1990[19]
Shell	Johnstone's junonia Scaphella junonia johnstoneae	1990[20]
Tree	Southern longleaf pine Pinus palustris	1997[21]
Wildflower	Oak-leaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia Bartr.	1999[22]
Amphibian	Red Hills salamander Phaeognathus hubrichti	2000[23]
Fruit	Blackberry Rubus occidentalis	2004[24]
Mammal	American black bear Ursus americanus	2006[25]
Tree fruit	Peach Prunus persica	2006[26]
Vegetable	Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas	2021[27][28]
Legume	Peanut Arachis hypogaea	2022[29]
Native Grass	Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	2024[30]

Geology

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Mineral	Hematite	1967[31]
Rock	Marble	1969[32]
Fossil	Basilosaurus Basilosaurus cetoides	1984[33]
Gemstone	Star blue quartz	1990[34]
Soil	Bama	1997[35]

Culture

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Song	"Alabama"	1931[36]
American folk dance	Square dance	1981[37]
Renaissance fair	Florence, Alabama Renaissance Fair	1988[38]
Horse show	AOHA Alabama State Championship Horse Show	1988[39]
Outdoor drama	The Miracle Worker	1991[40]
Barbecue competition	Alabama Barbecue Championship	1991[41]
Agricultural museum	Dothan Landmark Park	1992[42]
Horseshoe tournament	Stockton Fall Horseshoe Tournament	1992[43]
Historic theatre	Alabama Theatre	1993[44]
Outdoor musical drama	The Incident at Looney's Tavern	1993[45]
Quilt	Pine Burr Quilt	1997[46]
Spirit	Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey	2004[47]
Cake	Lane cake	2016[48]
Cookie	Yellowhammer cookie	2023[49]

See also

• List of Alabama-related topics
• Lists of United States state insignia
• State of Alabama