List of New Mexico state symbols

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.

Location of the state of New Mexico in the United States

A New Mexico state quarter

Insignia

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

• 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]

Capital

Further information: List of U.S. state capitals

• Capital: Santa Fe (1610)^{[N 4]}

Music

Further information: List of U.S. state songs

• 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]

Flora

Further information: List of U.S. state and territory flowers, List of U.S. state and territory trees, and List of U.S. state grasses

• Flower: Yucca flower^{[N 5]} (1927)^[13]
• Tree: Two-needle piñon pine (Pinus edulis) (1949)^[14]
• Grass: Blue grama (Bouteloua gracillis) (1973)^[15]

Foods

Further information: List of U.S. state foods

• Vegetables: Chile (Capsicum annum L.)^{[N 6]} (1965) and frijoles (pinto beans of the Phaseolus vulgaris family) (1965)^[16]
• Cookie: Biscochito (1989)^[17]

Fauna

• 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]

Geology

• Fossil: Coelophysis (1981)
• Gem: Turquoise (1967)

Other

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]

Notes

1. Crescit eundo was added to the territorial seal in 1882. This change was officially adopted by the legislature in 1887.^[4]
2. "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]
3. 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.
4. 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]
5. 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.
6. 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.

Further reading

• "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)

References

1. "New Mexico Statutes Annotated". New Mexico Compilation Commission. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
2. "State Symbols". New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
3. Rick Wyatt; Joe McMillan; Nick Artimovich; William E. Dunning; Nathan Lamm; Sascha Zimmer (2011-06-10). "New Mexico (U.S.)". CRW Flags Inc. Store. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
4. "Great Seal of New Mexico". State of New Mexico. Archived from the original on 2008-11-29. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
5. 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)
6. "New Mexico State Answer, Red and Green or Christmas". www.netstate.com. NSTATE, LLC. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
7. "Santa Fe's History". The Official Santa Fe Travel Site. Tourism Santa Fe. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
8. "Official State Song – "O Fair New Mexico"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
9. "Spanish Language State Song – "Asi Es Nuevo Mexico"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
10. "State Ballad – "Land Of Enchantment"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
11. "State Bilingual Song – "Mi Lindo Nuevo Mexico"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
12. "Official Cowboy Song – "Under the New Mexico Skies"". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
13. "State Flower". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
14. "State Tree". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
15. "State Grass". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
16. "State Vegetables". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
17. "State Cookie". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
18. "State Symbols: State reptile". Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
19. Cumbres & Toltec as Official Scenic Railroad (House Bill 447). The Legislature of the State of New Mexico. April 6, 2005.
20. "State Necklace". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
21. "State Guitar". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
22. Official State Aroma (Senate Bill 188). The Legislature of the State of New Mexico. March 28, 2023.
23. McKay, Dan. "Sweet smell of success". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
24. "Dusty Roadrunner". Keep New Mexico Beautiful, Inc. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
25. "State Bird". New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 16 January 2024.