You probably already knew that our state’s bird is the northern cardinal which was chosen by Illinois schoolchildren in 1929. But what follows is a list of Illinois state symbols that may surprise you! And who knows, these may come in handy in an upcoming game of trivia or final Jeopardy!
Amphibian – eastern tiger salamander
Animal – white-tailed deer
Artifact – pirogue
Dance – square dance
Exercise – cycling
Fish – bluegill
Grain – corn
Flower – violet*
Fossil – tully monster
Fruit – GoldRush apple
Insect – monarch butterfly
Microbe – penicillium rubens
Mineral – fluorite
Motto – State Sovereignty, National Union
Nickname – The Prairie State
Pet – shelter dogs and shelter cats
Pie – pumpkin pie
Prairie Grass – big bluestem
Reptile – painted turtle
Rock – dolostone
Slogan – Land of Lincoln
Snack Food – popcorn
Snake – eastern milksnake
Soil – drummer silty clay loam
Song – Illinois
Tartan – Illinois Saint Andrew Society Tartan
Theater – The Great American People Show
Tree – white oak
Vegetable – sweet corn
Wildflower – milkweed
* Illinois was the first of four states to choose the violet (Viola sp.) as its State Flower. It was selected by schoolchildren in 1908. The violet is also the State Flower of New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
You might think that all violets have purple flowers. There are several kinds of violets, though, and you can find violets with yellow, white, blue-violet, lilac-purple and even green flowers!
Violets are found growing in all kinds of locations, from prairies and lawns to woods and wetlands. The flowering time of the violet depends on the species, but most bloom in the spring.
Cottontails (rabbits) eat the entire violet plant. Other species, like mice, wild turkeys and mourning doves, eat only the seeds.
One violet species is nicknamed “Johnny jump-up,” and many others have been the subject of poems and nursery rhymes. They have also been called “nature’s vitamin pill.” Violets are high in vitamin A and, ounce for ounce, contain more vitamin C than oranges!
For more information about the symbols and how they were chosen please search at
Illinois Department of Natural Resources >Education>Educational Resources>state symbols